Breaking Point
by cleverusernamehere
Summary: Alexandra Ramsden wasn't exactly the definition of normal; she was born a half-devil and hunted them to boot. When the three hunters of Devil May Cry and "family problems" appear, all hell breaks loose. DantexOC
1. Dreary Rain

_ **Pairing: **_DantexOC.

_**Rating: **_Teen

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Devil May Cry. Capcom owns it. You would know if I owned it; DMC would all yaoi-y and smutty and generally controversial.

_**A/N: **_Geez, why do I feel like a nervous wreck for posting this on Fanfiction? I originally started posting this on Quizilla, but it went all dumb... Therefore, I dropped it like a hot potato...or something. If you review, please be nice. I admit I am a wussy, and this is my first fanfiction.

_'Stupid rainy days.'_ Alexandra glared silently out toward the dreary city scenery as the gentle rain pattered meekly against her apartment's large picture window. The dark, sullen day had discovered a new way to sink the cold feeling of misery into her skin. Pausing her brooding only to stare down at her pocket, she yanked out the vibrating cell phone.  
"Yes?" she sighed. _'Another day, another annoying customer. Hell, at least they pay me. Not much else, though.'_

"Oh, Miss Ramsden, I have longed to test my skills for **ages**," cooed the sudden silky voice. Alex's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden challenge. "Meet me in the alleyway on Fleeting Street. **Don't disappoint me**." The line went dead.

The young woman grabbed her trench coat and growled fiercely. _'Why cant I just be left the hell alone?'_ She seized two large handguns from the room's lone table and situated them in her belt holsters.

As she prowled through the alleyway, she noticed the shadows dance erratically. Turning on her boot heels, she gazed tiredly at the slender figure behind her. "There you are," she drawled. She began to reach for her guns, but a sudden needle dug into her flesh. She blinked down at it. _'Not a bad trick.'_ Looking up at her attacker, she cocked her head to the side and waited boredly for the ever old, how-I-will-ravish-destroying-your-existence speech.

"I like my victims to know my title before I kill them," explained the dark-haired male as he examined his perfect nails. As his long, silky tresses flared behind him dramatically, the sudden wind revealed a rather feminine visage and slender, emerald eyes. "I am Nathaniel Darkheart! I am the winged scourge that spreads terror through his plight! **Now, I shall kill you!**"

What our dear friend Nathaniel failed (and miserably) to notice as he was crowing was that Alexandra had pulled out her companion weapon and had aimed it at his pretty head. Realizing his blunder, Nathaniel dashed toward her person. Too late. She fired several bullets, embedding them into his perfectly sculpted skull. His dead body crashed into the filthy, muddy street before Alex.

Woo. Strolling towards his corpse, she fished his man-bag out of a slit in his leather corset. "Geez, I thought you were going to be a lot more trouble," she tutted. "Guess not."

With that being said, she trudged her way back to her apartment.

After unlocking her door, she plopped down on her threadbare, beat-up couch and wrenched the long needle from her wrist. _'What a frikkin' pain.'_ Her cell-phone decided it was going to ring again. She groaned loudly. "Hello?" she greeted unenthusiastically.

"Hi, Alex, what cha' up to?" questioned a happy voice, "You want to go clubbin' tonight?" it asked eagerly. Alex could practically feel the impatient energy from this person.

"I dunno, depends on if I have a job tonight," she informed it.

"Aw! Okay, call me if change your mind." The line went dead for the second time that morning.

Drowsy from boredom and poison from the needle, Alexandra rolled her eyes and flipped over on her couch. Nap time.


	2. Bar Fights and Pissed Off Little Sisters

**Disclaimer: **Devil May Cry belongs to Capcom. I am merely writing this fanfiction for my entertainment and yours.

**Rating: **Teen. My characters have pretty dirty mouths. XD

**A/N: **I guess this can kind of be considered an AU as well... The way I have this set up is that the story runs between the second and the fourth video games. I take suggestions for stuff, so let me know! Enjoy...

* * *

"Damn Alex and her stoic emo persona! I ought t' kick that big butt of hers! I wish I could've been gifted with such a tooshie!" Lily whined to herself. Sister dearest could drive her so nuts sometimes! She huffed and glared pointedly at her house phone. _'Stupid meanie of a sister!'_

_'Oh well, there's no point of dwelling on it.'_ She pushed herself up from her big plush chair in her living room and sauntered over to her stereo. She pulled out a random CD and stared down at the cover. Lily smiled, it was her favorite band, HIM!

_'Oh, Ville, your voice is absolutely divine!'_ She smirked deviously at the dirty images that flashed through her mind.

She popped the CD in and sunk slowly into her previous seat.

Lily grinned luxuriously as the song drifted from the speakers. _'HIM, the ultimate eargasm!'_ Humming quietly, Lily drifted into a dreamy (and most likely perverted) daze. Suddenly, her house phone rang violently on the receiver; she screeched in terror and jumped nearly three feet. Grabbing her heart, she shakily pressed the "on" button. "Hello?"

"Hey," answered a quiet, muzzled voice. Alex.

"It took you fuckin' long enough!" she hissed angrily.

"What have I told you about that language?" scolded Alex, "I told you I didn't want you turning out like me."

"Oh, just shut up! Jesus fu-!"

"Don't curse Jesus. He'll strike you down with lighting and turn you into liiiittle crispies," sang Alex. Lily could just see her grin.

"Fine! Just leave me alone about it! Are you going or what?" she snapped.

"Well, I was considering going, but Miss Bitchy may make me change my mind."

Lily snorted, "Hey! I'm angry 'cuz you scared the crap out of me...while I was listening to HIM!!"

"Oops, my bad," Alex stated uninterestedly.

Lily huffed disapprovingly.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry. You're just too much fun to screw with. I'll go, but you owe me lots of alcohol."

"Aw, damn! Meet me at eight, okay?" she asked.

"Sure, usual spot?" questioned Alex.

"Of course! See ya' later!" Lily piped and hung up, not even waiting for her sister to speak.

The unfortunate girl moaned in aggravation. Her sister had a _wild_ alcohol tolerance. Lily, well, could not say the same for herself...

Alexandra grunted as the line died. _'How rude. Oh well, I brought it upon myself.'_ She snickered softly. _'That little punk's temper is really gonna get her in trouble one day.'_

Turning towards the clock on the wall, she gasped. _'It's already six thirty?! It already takes an hour to procrastinate while getting ready, and then a good thirty minutes to get there if I drive like an absolute maniac and if the traffic is good, too. Why did I move all the way out here?'_

She groaned, "No time for Play Station? Damn!"

After getting out of her tub, Alex strolled into her large bedroom, slouched onto her huge, comfy bed, and stared gloomily into her pathetically empty closet. The young woman shifted, and her thoughts suddenly switched to the time when Lily and Alex had to move the bed into her apartment.

_"Alex, why in the heck did you buy such a big bed? There's just one of you!" Lily grumbled as they heaved the heavy frame into the apartment's only bedroom.  
_

_"It's a big bedroom. It deserves a bed to accommodate its size," she retorted. The pair groaned in pain as they placed a part of the frame on the hardwood floor of the bedroom. _

_"Besides, I want a bed like this all to myself."  
_

_Lily stared at her incredulously, "Dude, that is __**so**__ not a proficient reason!"  
_

_"Tch, why isn't it?" Alex challenged while she crossed her arms.  
_

_Her younger sister chortled. "You buy a big bed to share with a really hot guy, of course!" she replied suggestively.  
_

_"Naw, having a bed to yourself is better."_

Snapping back out of her nostalgic stupor, Alex turned her attention back towards her outfit. She settled for her black half-shirt, her favorite pair of black jeans, and combat boots. After pulling on her clothes, Alex grabbed a jacket and her keys, locked her door, and tread toward her Mustang. She regarded it lovingly. _'When spending craploads of money on a car and gas are worth it.'_

Sliding into her seat, she placed her key into ignition and turned. The engine roared to life. Grinning widely, Alex felt the powerful engine rumble from under the steering wheel. "Okay, I'm ready now," she commented to herself.

Ramming her boot into the gas pedal, the car flew forward and sped towards the interstate and to her desired destination.

**_In other places..._**

"Hey, I want a strawberry sundae," requested Dante boredly. It was a Saturday, and the work week had been long and busy. All he wanted wanted to indulge himself with a sickly-sweet sundae, get drunk, and go back and get some shut eye.

"Dude, this is a bar. We don't serve those here," replied the bartender.

Dante sighed in building irritation, "Just give me a beer..."

The bartender responded by sliding one in his direction. Catching it, he brought it toward his lips and chugged down the contents in an instant. Once again, he sighed. _'When did it get this bad? Damn women, taking my all my money.'_

Outside of the same club, Lily finally caught sight of her tall and unusual-looking sister walking in her direction. "Yay! You're here!" Lily cheered as she glomped Alex. "I thought I'd never seeeeeeeeeeee you!" she moaned grievously.

"Oh, quit your whining. I bet you wouldn't even miss me if I died," Alex responded when she wrapped her arms around her sister, loving undertones in her voice.

"Oh, come on, what kind of sister am I?" she squawked as they let go off each other and began their stroll to the doors.

"We don't even want to talk about it," Alexandra murmured through a smirk.

Lily stopped walking, "Hey! I take offense at that!"

Alex looked back at her sister and shrugged nonchalantly.

As they walked into the club, Lily spoke, "By the way, I really like those pants. Are they new?"

"What the hell, Lily? I've **had** these pants," she whispered skeptically.

"Really?" she asked, a quirk intertwined with her tone, "I could've sworn they were new."

"Maybe it's the fact that I wore a different belt?"

A thoughtful look crossed Lily's face, "That could be it."

Alex rolled her eyes. _'Oblivious as always...'_ They walked through the doors of the club. _'Woohoo.'_

The song that currently played blared incoherently through the speakers. It sounded like something along the lines of "Paralyzed."

Lily's eyes lit up at the abundance of gorgeous men on the dance floor.

"Yes! They've all come just for me tonight!" Lily shouted as her fist shot into the air.

Alex sniggered, "You sure they haven't come for me?"

Lily stuck her tongue out. "Positive," she announced smugly.

Alex shook her head in amusement. She gestured toward the large group, "I'll leave you to it."

Her younger sister giggled as she scrambled toward the floor.

With that being done, Alex strolled towards the bar and grabbed a seat. "Three rounds of whiskey, please." The bartender passed her several shot glasses. Licking her lips, Alexandra downed the first shot. The liquid scorched its way down her throat. A small smile graced her shapely lips. _'Perfect.'_

Dante stared disinterestedly at the blob of dancing bodies that flooded the dance floor. He stretched and adjusted himself more comfortably in the bar stool.

The hunter could feel his blood boil in his veins. Not too far from him, there were a large gaggle of thugs drinking like fish and shouting all sorts of idiotic things... And they were really working on his nerves.

They apparently decided to notice him, "Hey! I don't like the way you look! Get the hell out of my club, weirdo!" bellowed a slurred, gravelly voice as he brandished a half-full bottle in his meaty hand. The ring leader, obviously. Dante glanced toward the drunken fellow.

"And what if I don't?" he questioned coolly. Like hell he was leaving just because some drunk tells him to.

The guy's face twisted in anger, "Then I'll make you!" The man flung his bottle of vodka at Dante, who dodged it swiftly. He looked up, only to see it crash into the side of a woman's head.

Well, if it were a guy, Dante wouldn't have sweated it. But this was a _chick_ he was talking about here. The females he unfortunately knew had horrible tempers, and they knew how to kick ass to boot. He expected no less from any other of the same gender.

Her body tensed up as the force of the incoming bottle caused her head to snap on the direction of her other shoulder. She turned to face them slowly, to the point it was agonizing.

The female stared at them intensely, her obsidian eyes glittering with fury. The contents of the bottle, along with a stream of blood, trickled from her temple into her messy raven-colored hair. The shot glass was crushed in her long fingers, leaving long gashes in her palms.

Dante would have thought she was pretty if her look wasn't so, well, _animal. _

She stood up fluidly and stalked over to the man that had thrown the bottle.

Her bangs fell in her face. "Hey, you," she whispered dangerously.

The drunkard stepped backward. Her arm shot out, grabbed him by his t-shirt, and yanked him onto the bar. She kept dragging him viciously across the counter, glasses shattering as he raked over them, and sent him flying through the glass of the window.

"I don't believe you have much room to talk. He doesn't look as fucked-up as you do," she finished icily.

_'Well. Guess I was right about the female-aggression-thing. Or maybe I just attract all the violent ones? _

His minions looked at her with something akin to drunken anger, offended at the fact that a _female_ took out their _boss_. Some people are just really sexist, aren't they? One crony called, "Hey, bitch, are you tryin' to start somethin'?"

She smirked smoothly. "I don't know. Why don't you come over here and find out?" she countered evenly as she took a defensive stance.

Infuriated at the fact that she was not intimidated, they all charged towards her. The first one to reach her in the group lunged at her, and she used the momentum of his badly-aimed punch to flip him over her shoulder onto the hard floor. Without much trouble, he passed out.

At this point, the clubbers began to notice. Most of them decided it would be best just to go ahead and leave. It was starting to get really nasty, and the bouncers were the ones that were trying to beat Alex up. The guy Lily was currently dancing with stopped.

"Who the hell is that freaky chick?" he pointed. Lily's gaze followed his finger.

Her eyes widened in rage. _'Damn it, Alex! Why is it always you?' _

She giggled nervously. _'Well, there's really no use in lying..' _"That's my, uh, sister," she admitted.

The guy turned toward her fearfully. "Um, bye!" The coward scurried out the front doors, leaving her there to defend herself.

Lily glowered. _'What a jackass!'_

**"ALEXANDRA RAMSDEN, I'M GOING TO FEAST UPON YOUR SPILT BLOOD TONIGHT!"** she roared.

Alex was surrounded. Turning her head to the sides, she sized up her challengers. She smirked slightly to herself, _'I think I'll be able to finish this up easily…' _

"What the hell are you smirkin' at, you crazy bitch? This is the end of the line!" the one who appeared to be the second-in-command shouted.

"Not quite," she laughed.

Going into blind rage, the lieutenant ring leader dispatched a fierce punch toward her face, and she back flipped. When she landed on her palms, she twisted, successfully executing a 360 degree kick into her attackers. She landed lithely on the pads of her booted heels as they all collided, entirely knocked out, onto the floor.

She glared back up at the male who started it all. Her eyes narrowed even more in initial shock. '_Quite the looker, aren't we? I'd hate to see what would happen to you if Lily got a hold of you...'  
_  
He was very tall, much like herself. His broad shoulders were cloaked in a long, blood-red trench coat. _'That's the way to stay unnoticeable...' _His frosty hair hung limply in his face as his silvery-blue eyes stared back into her near-black ones. The entire scheme of his attire was black and red with some accents of gold and silver.

What got her was the five-'o-clock shadow. Ew. Didn't the punk know how to shave? And didn't he know it was one of those feminine turn-offs?

She stood back up, turned around to face the dance floor, and put up three fingers. _'Three...two...one-'_

**"ALEXANDRA!!"** her sister screeched. She flew toward her, growling. Alex's hand met her forehead while she was still running toward her, keeping her at a reasonable distance while Lily's feet still propelled her foward.

"You better start explaining what the hell went on back there! I almost got a guy's number, but he ran away 'cause of you! Why, I outta!-"

"Chill, sweetheart. If he ran off like that, all he wanted was in your jeans, not a relationship. Besides, aren't you the least bit concerned that I'm gushing blood and smell like alcohol?" Alex pointed towards her injured temple and palm.

Lily exhaled sharply," Still! And anyway, knowing you, it'll heal as soon as we leave!"

_'Knowing you?' _Demons usually were the only ones that healed quickly. He stared at her temple, and sure enough, the gash was gradually knitting back together. Had he discovered another half-devil? Geez, he was still recovering from Lucia and the last guy who was trying to take over the earth...

Alexandra huffed, "Fine, you wanna know who started it? Look behind me."

Dante decided it would be best to make a stealthy escape. He hoped not to be hounded by more pissy women today, thanks...

"No way! Get your ass back here!" barked the younger sister. She grabbed his arm and yanked him around to face her, gracing herself to give him the chewing out of his life. All she was capable of was staring at him, mouth hanging open. Lily turned back angrily at her sister.

"You set me up for this, didn't you?" she yelled.

The older one motioned toward herself. "Me? Of course not," she announced sarcastically.

She then walked toward them and gently grabbed her sister's shoulder. "You, go."

"But!-"

Her stony look was enough to send Lily grumbling irritable profanities on the way to the doors.

Alex gazed boldly into Dante's eyes. "Sorry for causing the both of us so much trouble, dude." She turned and made her way to the doors as she gave him a slight wave.

He still felt her presence faintly floating in the air around him even after she disappeared through the bar doors. Dante smirked to himself; he had a feeling was going to see her again...


	3. So We Meet Again

**Disclaimer: **Don't expect me to own Capcom unless I'm really rich. And I'm not rich. End of story.

**Chapter Rating: **Teen. I don't really see this changing soon... XD

**A/N: **Help me choose a cool business name and how she got it, peoplez. D: I'm going nuts trying to decide the name for it whatever reason... Enjoy, bitches! (Sorry, I had to say that just once...)

* * *

"Die, vermin!" Alex hollered manically as she gunned down several disgusting zombies. _'Video games totally kick ass.'_ Her cellphone vibrated violently in her back pocket, causing her to yelp and hit a wrong button. "Nuuuuu!"

The main character was swarmed by a large hoard of them, screaming in agony as he was viciously ripped to pieces. She stared blankly at the screen, and her cellphone shook once again.

Since this was also her work phone, her tone became more business-like, "Iron Maiden. This is Alex speaking."

Many ask how she came up with the name of her business. Her adopted father, Pops as she called him, told her one time that she was a "fair" maiden with an iron will. I just happened to stick when it came to her line of work.

"Hey there, kiddo!" a mirthy voice yakked as it flooded Alex's ears.

"Pops!"

"The one and only. I have an order I need you to pick up and deliver for me," Pops, known to many as Jacoby, declared.

He heard a scoff on the other line, "Are you too lazy to do it yourself?"

"Got that right, sweet cheeks. Besides, ya ma' just picked some plums... "

"Gimme twenty minutes." She hung up and hurriedly turned her Play Station off. _'Plums!'_

The old man heard the line go dead. He chuckled quietly to himself.

"Is she coming?" asked his wife, Lana. She smiled gently at him.

He turned toward her and grinned like a young boy. "Yep, you better have those plums ready," he informed her.

Lana shook her head amusedly. "Goodness, that child! She'll be wanting some of the bread I made..."

"Don't tell me I won't be getting some!" he whined. Lana's rolled her eyes as the corners of her mouth upturned at his childishness.

"Of course, dear. I made it for the two of you, after all."

**_In other places..._**

"Oh, plums, how I adore you!" Alex sang. _'I really hope Lovely made bread.'_ She pressed her foot on the gas pedal a little harder, causing the engine roar to become louder. On her dash, her cellphone rang. Her eyes flickered off of the road as she picked it up." 'Ello?"

"Hey, Alex! What's up?" her younger sister inquired. _'I guess she's not pissed off anymore...'_

"Um, the sky?"

"Be serious!"

"That's what you asked, honey."

"Just answer the question!"

"I did."

Lily growled on the other line. "Answer my question."

"Geez, you're so nosy. I'm just going to visit Pops and Lovely. I have an order to pick up for Pops."

"Cool, can I go?" Lily questioned. Alex sighed.

"Fine, pick you up at the complex?" _'They live near there, anyway.'_

"Yep! See you later!"

"Yeah, see you later."

After speeding for about six minutes, Alex finally reached the apartment building. Lily walked quickly down the complex's stairs, waving frantically and grinning wildly. She reached the car door, opened it, and plopped down in the passenger seat.

"To Lovely's!" she shouted and pointed her skinny finger dramatically. Alex snickered and shook her head. _'My sister is an idiot...but a lovable idiot.'_

She drove for a few more miles and stopped in front of a small cottage. Her childhood home stood cozily in her line if view. _'Home at last.'_

An elderly woman waltzed gracefully onto the front porch as Alex and Lily exited their vehicle. She lovingly greeted the two sisters, "Alexandra, Lily, it's so nice you two! Do come in!" As they walked inside to the living room, Alex stooped down to embrace her adopted mother.

"How have you been?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, you know. I'm just trying to keep up with your pop."

Alex chuckled, "The crazy old man."

"He's in his workroom if you want to see him."

Her father was a blacksmith who had quite the knack for creating or repairing anything that was metal.

She nodded her thanks to Lovely as she strolled down the small hallway and stealthily entered the room, hoping to surprise Pops.

The old man swiveled in his chair and grinned sloppily. Alex nearly jumped. _'I swear he has eyes in the back of his head...'_

"Yo!" he saluted.

"How'd you know I came in here?"

"Remember, you lived with me for twenty-three years. I just know."

Alex yanked up an old bench and plunked down beside him. She motioned toward a large box on his table, "You got it for me?'

"Oh, no love for me? You don't even want to visit your old man?" he teased.

Alex eyed him blandly, "You hypocrite, the only reason you called me over here anyway was to deliver that order for your lazy bum."

Pops held his arms up vaguely in surrender, "I kid, I kid."

"Yeah, I know," she answered, "But its still good to see your ugly face, you old fart."

"What on God's green earth are you talking about? I have a beautiful face! You're just too jealous to appreciate it!" They both laughed.

They heard Lovely call for them, "You two, the bread's ready! And Alex, I have your plums!"

Alex's brain suddenly went blank except for one phrase, _'Plums. I want!'_ She abruptly stood up and completed three long strides to reach the end if the room. She then scrambled toward the kitchen.

Lovely had already arranged the table; she placed several slices of fresh bread and a jar of blueberry jam on it. Lily had already seated herself and picked up a slice. Pops and Alex tucked in momentarily.

She devoured a few slices, and she grabbed a plum from the basket that her mother had placed near her. Alex stared greedily at the swollen, deep purple fruit and launched her teeth fiercely into its skin. Juice ran down her chin, and she wiped it away as she ravenously gnawed more chunks delicious fruit from the poor plum...

After wolfing down several delicious slices of bread, Pops proclaimed, "Alrighty, let's get down to business." He handed Alex a napkin to wipe her hands clean before he began. He handed her a scrap of paper with the address of his client. Alex quickly scanned over it.

Her face contorted in disapproval, "That's on the other side of town!" She then frowned, "I'll have to buy gas..."

"Oh well, get over it. Taking it for me will be the right thing to do!" he added.

Lana and Alex concurrently rolled their eyes.

"Okay, the order is a specialized missile launcher very similar to one of those MANPADS, got it? When I got a hold of it, several parts of it had been brutally ripped off. By what, I have no idea. The woman who brought it to me called herself Lady, so ask for her."

He then smirked and leaned back in his chair, "It was quite the challenge. I've never seen something so banged up! The parts for it cost me quite the pretty penny." He then showed the pair a picture of it, causing the both of them to stare at it incredulously.

Alex then nodded in understanding, used to his incomprehensible metalwork ranting. Lily sat still, an odd expression on her countance.

"What in the hell is a MANPADS?"

Lana flinched at her language. "Lily, don't make me get the soap!" she scolded sternly.

"Oh, my bad!" Lily scurried behind Alex's chair, fearing Lovely's soapy wrath of doom.

She then turned back to Pops when she felt it was safe. "Well, what is it?"

Just as Pops opened his mouth to answer, Alex replied, "It stands for man-portable air-defense systems. They're basically just rocket launchers. And they're cool...they go boom." She used her hands to signify something blowing up. "Don't you pay attention to Pops when he talks about this stuff?"

"Um, no? I didn't think it was all that important," Lily whispered, a little embarrassed.

Alex looked at her dubiously, "You really need to. If you learn something, you're brain might make more cells."

"Yea-HEY! I am actually very smart, thank you!" Lily huffed.

"Sure, let's go with that." Lily glared at a smiling Alex. She then glanced over to Pops.

"Alright, old man, let me get that so I can go ahead and go." Everyone except Lana stood up from their chairs and strolled casually to the hallway and into the small workroom.

"Okay, ladies. Alex, grab the box." He gestured at his table. His twinkling hazel gaze then fell on Lily, "You get the address and the receipt, Lil'." He handed her the small sheets of paper, which she accepted hesitantly.

"You sure you can give me those? I have a baaaaaaaaad habit of losing things..."

He waved away her reluctance, "It'll be fine!"

Alex groaned as she picked up the large box, "God, what's in this? A third-world country?"

"No complaining!" sang Pops.

"Geez, whatever," muttered Alex. "Come on, Lily, let's get going. I got things I wanna do." Lily followed after her as she maneuvered the large box into the kitchen.

"Oh! Before you go, here's this." Lana called from the kitchen. Lovely placed a basket filled with plums and half a loaf of bread on the box as Alex trudged into the kitchen.

Alex's face lit up as she stared at them. "Plums! Thank you!"

Alex crouched lower as Lovely kissed her cheek; Lovely then kissed Lily's cheek.

"Have a good afternoon, dears."

They both answered in unison, "We will!"

**_In other times..._**

Lily's eyes fixated boredly on the blurred, rolling mass of city buildings outside of her sister's car window. She turned her gray gaze, only to meet Alex's blank onyx one.

"What? Don't stare at me like that, it's creepy."

"I want some music!" Lily griped loudly.

"Then turn on the stereo," Alex retorted.

Lily drawled, "I'm too lazy to reach the button, though." She proved her pointed by raising her slender arm a few inches before letting it plop into her lap. "See?"

Alex sighed irately and slammed her finger into the button. "Why do I even put up with you?"

"'Cause you love me?" Lily asked sweetly.

"Oh, sure, that's it," deadpanned Alex. Lily giggled evilly in the other seat.

Lily then reached for the glove compartment and pulled out Alex's case of CDs.

"I though you were too lazy to do anything."

"Eh, I'm not lazy enough to not pick what I listen to."

"You know, I ought to smack you."

"But you can't 'cuz you love me too much," replied Lily coolly.

Alex chuckled lightly, "But I can!" The back of her hand then collided with the side of her sister's head with a satisfying _smack_.

"Ow, you meanie, that hurt!" screeched Lily lividly.

"Good, it was supposed to."

Lily rubbed her sore head and pouted, "You're so cruel to me! I should call the law on you!"

"But you can't 'cuz you love me too much," sang Alex. Lily's eyes narrowed into squinty little slits.

"You stole my line!"

"I didn't see any sort of copyright pop up when you said it."

Lily huffed and crossed her arms, her delicate nose turning high in the air.

Alex snickered, _'I win!'_

After a few minutes of angry silence (on Lily's side of the vehicle), Lily finally spoke up.

"Anything you wanna listen to?"

Alex's face transformed into a look of contemplation. "Hm, how 'bout The Rasmus?"

"Yes, yes! It is lurve!" fangirled Lily as she fed the CD into the slot.

"Shot" soon resonated through the speakers, the vibrations spreading pleasantly into the passengers' bodies. Alex's fingers drummed absentmindedly to the beat on the steering wheel, and Lily sighed contentedly as she sunk into the seat. Her gray orbs glanced down at the section of paper with the address scrawled onto it. Lily's face twisted in bewilderment.

"Devil May Cry? That sounds like some sorta creepy underground Goth club... It's got a ring to it, though," remarked the young woman.

Alex's drumming stopped momentarily as a distant bell rang in the furthest of her memories.

"Odd...that sounds familiar," murmured Alex, "Didn't Drago-senpai tell me something about that name one time? Geez, I'm getting too old"

"Whassat, Alex? I can't hear your psychotic muttering!" Lily announced.

"Then turn down the music! I'm just trying to remember where I've heard that name before, that's all," she snapped. _'Note to self: Ask senpai later'_

It wasn't much longer until they reached their secluded destination. Scootching painfully out of her seat, Lily opened her door and stepped onto the pavement. As soon as Alex dispatched herself from her seat and onto the asphalt, she unlocked her trunk and yanked out the over sized box.

She walked over to her sister, who was quietly admiring the plain building.

"What's so interesting?" queried a skeptical Alex.

"Doesn't it just seem so...imposing?"

"How so?"

"To me, it just has this weird energy...sorta like I'll-kick-your-ass-if-you-mess-with-me kinda thing." Lily then looked over to her sister, "Is it just me?"

"Mm, just you. Come on, I won't be able to kick anymore zombie butt at this rate."

Lily's eyes completed a three-sixty. _'And you call me weird sometimes? Honey, please!'_

**_In another person's view..._**

God, Dante's damn music was loud! All it was guitars and unintelligible screaming! Trish and Lady thought it was rather tasteless...

Unfortunately for Trish and Lady, the stupid ass was taking a shower, so she couldn't go turn it down. He was always whining about how he couldn't "hear" it over the running water. (Stupid jerk; all he wanted to do was annoy the hell out of them...) As much as she wanted to break in there and blast the stereo to pieces, there was a lesson to be remembered. The **one** and only time she attempted turn it down, she ended up walking in on Dante as he was stepping out. The blonde woman shuddered to herself, _'I do not want that to happen again...'_

Her eyes scanned the room casually as she leaned nonchalantly on Dante's messy desk. They landed on Lady disinterestingly, who was currently filing her nails daintily.

Despite her calm expression, Trish noticed the vein throbbing in Lady's forehead.

"Why does he insist on infuriating us?" she questioned irritably.

"Tch, it's wired into his system. That's just Dante for you...plain annoying." Trish's sharp hearing picked up a soft knock (despite the noise) reverberating from the gray door.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" she yelled over the obnoxious music as she sauntered toward them. She opened the old doors, only to be greeted by a rather unusual sight.

The first was a young woman, hardly in her twenties (or so Trish guessed). She stood there rather feebly in a large navy hoodie and light wash jeans with a sheet of paper clasped in her fingers. Her sprigy black hair was topped in a cadet cap and her gray eyes looked shyly into Trish's.

The second one was a slightly older, much taller, and somewhere close to her age. This female was situated indifferently with a large package with all black attire. Her shoulder-length hair stood in naturally wild angles on her head, and her obsidian eyes stared at her impassively.

"May I help you?" asked Trish sweetly.

"Um, is there a "Lady" located here?" asked the younger one. "We're here to deliver her MANPADS-thingy back to her," she added sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck uneasily. _'How I hate doing these kinds of things...'_

"Oh, come inside, then," she motioned for them to follow. She turned her pretty head to look at them. "May I ask your names?"

Lily's head snapped around to meet her gaze, "Oh! I'm Lily and this is Alex, my sister."

She jabbed her thumb back to Alex.

Trish looked up to "Alex" as "Lily" mentioned her. "Alex" gave her a small, awkward half-smile, and her hardened stare softened slightly with her smile.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed you guys were sisters. You two look entirely different!"

"Yeah, well, we don't have the same dad..." Lily trailed.

Trish nodded her head in understanding, "I won't ask any more questions." She twisted her neck back around to fully look at Lady. "Guess what? Kalina Ann is back!"

Lady's cross expression lightened up considerably, and she smiled gratefully. "Ah, finally!"

"Lady, this is Lily and Alex," she mentioned as her sweeping arm indicated which sister was who.

"I assume the old man sent you?"

For the first time, Alex answered, surprising the three other women. "Yeah, the lazy bum sent us over here." After a brief pause, her gaze then sharpened, "He said it was pretty screwed over when he received it. There are few things I can think of that can destroy steel like that."

Lady gazed at her innocently, "What do you have in mind?"

"Devils," Alex uttered.

Lady then shrugged her shoulders, "You've figured us out." Trish nodded in agreement.

"Wait! So you're saying you guys are devil hunters?" questioned Lily. She looked over to her sister in worry. _'Oh, snap...'_

Lady spoke once again, "Yes. And I hear there happens to be another hunter on the other side of town. One that goes by the name of Alexandra; the old man bragged about that person when I told him about what happened. I was surprised he even knew what I was talking about..."

The muscles in Alex's arms and shoulders stiffened. _'Crap, I've been figured out...I was really hoping they wouldn't know. Damn Pops and his big mouth!'_

Trish smirked playfully, "You wouldn't happen to be that same Alexandra, would you? The look on your face says it all."

Alex sighed in exasperation. _'This sucks...**hard**...' _She made a face at being called by her full name and replied, "Please, call me Alex. Alexandra's too fancy..."

Lady and Trish smiled and released their fighting stances they had unconsciously slipped into. Devil hunting just did that to people...

After completing this action, Lady clasped her hands together eagerly. "Now that we have all made acquaintances, would you mind bringing that to that desk, Alex?"

Alex walked over to the large desk and placed the box on the edge, shoving over empty beer bottles and pizza boxes in the process.

Trish spotted Alex's slightly disgusted expression. "You'll have to forgive the mess. Dante's such a slob."

A sudden male voice called, smooth and teasing, "Who's calling me a slob?"

The group of females turned toward the source of the noise standing in the doorway behind the desk.

"Hey, Trish, has the pizza guy dropped by yet?"

Now, if Alex was a lusty eyeballer, she would have done so then, but she wasn't. But that certainly didn't stop her from looking.

The pale haired, icy-blue eyed male leaned heavily on the doorframe. His muscular chest and abdomen glistened from the slight sheen of moisture, and small droplets of water streamed from his hair and onto his shoulders. Alex fascinatedly (the way the light hit them happened to look cool) followed the rivulets, though her face didn't betray it, down his chest and onto his well abs.

That's she noticed it. A single white towel adorned his hips...a towel. **One.** _Little._ Itty-bitty towel. _'Oh, this...is not good.'_ She alarmingly faced her sister.

Lily just stood there, eyes wide and countenance blank. Oh ho, her face may have been vacant, but Alex **knew**. She could practically see her sister's little hamster wheels turning, peeling of his towel and proceeding to do some very dirty things to him... _'That guy-what did that Trish chick call him...? Darrell? Daniel? Dante! Well, the peeling-of-the-towel doesn't seem all bad...but the rest? I pity his poor soul.'_

Then Alex noticed something else. He looked familiar...all he had to do was put on some **clothes**. She almost gasped in realization as her eyes narrowed, "You..."

His azure gaze slid in her direction, and he grinned deviously. "Hi, cutie, you look familiar... Have I seen you before?"

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and raised one slender brow. "Nope. Never. You must be mistaking me for my good twin..."

That jackass had gotten her permanently banned from the bar. _Permanently. _**That bar was her favorite!!** And now, she could never go back. She was going to have to find another hangout now!

Beating him into bloody pulp was looking _very _tempting right now. Hell, he'd probably make good fertilizer for Lovely's garden...

Alex's line of vision flickered back to an still Lily, willing herself to turn away before some serious ass-kicking occurred. She knew she was relatively calm-headed, but taunting was something she didn't tolerate. It was a quick way to earn one's demise by Alex. What was the point of teasing the crap out of somebody, anyway? Just go ahead and kill whatever it is for Christ's sake!

Trish believed this moment was best to intervene. _'She looks like she could rip his face off! I wouldn't mind that, though...'_ "Uh, what about the payment?"

Sudden movement came from Lily's person, breaking out of her enchanted daze. "Oh, um...Oh yeah!" She flashed them all a beaming smile and reached into her pocket. "It's right here!" She ambled over to Lady, handing her the so-called receipt.

Lady the proceeded to walk over to the box, unpocket a small switchblade from a fold in her skirt, and slit open the clear tape that sealed the package shut. After she shifted away the packaging peanuts, she gingerly pulled out the sections of Kalina Ann.

As she reassembled her most powerful weapon, she fingered the fine craftsmanship, obviously impressed. Propping up her weapon, Lady directly addressed Dante, "If you pay this bill for me, I'll deduce the amount from your debt."

"God, you still keep track?" he complained, but practically flew at that chunk of paper, eager for all and any chances Lady gave him to pay her back. _'I really don't wanna have to owe the hag any money before she dies...'_

As he looked down at that piece of paper, his little ray of hope instantly distinguished. "...I can't pay for this!"

"What about that job you got the other day? From what I saw, that paid pretty well," Lady countered.

"Most of it was spent trying to repay the owner of the pizza place, though."

"Most of it."

Dante sighed, "Fine, lemme go get it..." He then disappeared into the doorway he first came, muttering profanities under his breath.

Oddly enough, Alex detected the hint of cologne he left in his wake. _'Oh great, now I just feel weird. Why does it actually have to smell good? Now I can't make fun of it... But wait, he still has that stubble...Bwuahahahaha!!'_

After a few minutes, Dante returned, thankfully sporting dark leather pants and a wad of cash in his large hands.

_'Thank God! That damn skimpy towel was starting to get on my nerves...'_

Dante meandered over casually to a starstruck Lily, stopping a little too close for Alex's taste. He flaunted a charming smile as he passed her the owed currency, "Here you go."

Lily blushed a pretty pink, grinned dreamily, and slowly took the money from him.

Lady, Trish, and Alex simultaneously thought, _'Flirt.'_

But Alex's enraged brain progressed a little further, _'Arms length, you stupid bastard! You'll seriously think about seducing my sister when I rip your fuckin' pecker off!'_

Let's just say Alex was very defensive of her sister and her sister's dignity. Lily really could have cared less, and that's what irked Alex to _no_ end...

Alex then trekked towards her sister, roughly grabbing Lily's jacket hood and made a break toward the door. "Come on."

She then addressed Trish and Lady, "I'll see you guys around sometime, hopefully."

"Sounds like a plan," Trish stated playfully and Lady smiled.

Scrambling to be free of her sister's iron grip, Lily choked, "Bye, guys!"

Once outside the door, Alex finally let go of her sister.

"Geez, what was that for?!" Lily raged at her sister.

"I was getting you away from whatever-his-name-was before he charmed his way into you pants."

"I wouldn't have minded..."

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose to prevent a rising migraine, "I know you wouldn't have!"

Lily smirked, "You're just jealous 'cuz he looked at me longer!"

Alex's eyebrows raised in skepticism. "I beg to differ."

"Well, even if you didn't like **Dante**," she began, stressing 'Dante' heavily, "Trish and Lady turned out alright, I believe."

"I'd much rather deal with the two of them than Dante. Jesus. I could've ripped his throat out."

Lily patted Alex's shoulder comfortingly. "Let's just go on back."

"You staying with me tonight?" asked Alex.

"Do I have enough clothes?"

Alex let out a humorless laugh, "I have enough of your clothes to cover Asia twice."

Lily stuck her tongue out at her older sister. "I can't help it if I like clothes shopping!"

Both sisters plop into their respective seats of Alex's Mustang.

"I'm coming home to destroy you, zombies!" shouted Alex, grinning like an idiot.

Lily laughed happily. She loved it when her sister could just calm down and be a regular human being. The younger sister knew it was hard for Alex to open up and be herself, especially when she was actually only half-human. It never really occurred to Lily about how demonic her sister could be, but she didn't really care. Alex had a pure-intentioned heart, even if her blood was filthy with taint.

Alex started the ignition and slowly maneuvered her way onto the narrow city streets and towards her apartment miles away.

_**Back inside Devil May Cry...**_

"So, guys, what about the pizza?"

Trish and Lady popped their knuckles ominously.

"Dante, if you say _another_ word about pizza..."


	4. Torture lasts forever

**Disclaimer: **Me no own Devil May Cry. Me own original characters. You get?

**Rating: **Teen. I do not anticipate this to change unless I'm cruel enough to write some stuff a little higher-rated than a few curse words.

**A/N: **_To ShadowDragonOfTheMoon- _Thanks for the two reviews you have sent me! I have all summer, if I am not mistaken. XD

_To Eric Draven201: _It kind of scared me when I looked at the word count. I didn't expect the first chapter to be so short! Well, the other chapters behind it are a _lot_ longer, so I hope that makes you happy… X3

_Thanks __very much to those who have added this story to their favorites and/or have watched it! _I feels all appreciated. X3

(Sorry it's late. Procrastinating is like breathing to me…) And sorry I have not added my love earlier.

* * *

Well, it had been about a month since Alex saw all of the employees of Devil May Cry together.

Since it was near the summertime, the number of devils populating the city had shot _way_ up. She guessed it was the fact that huge multitudes of victims that were out for vacation just happened to be doing something stupid enough in dark alleys for them to be hunted down. (And maybe it was mating season or something? She wouldn't really know…)

But those were trivial matters. **She got paid! **There were no questions asked. Just exterminations. (Insert evil cackle here.)

It was during those exterminations that Alex occasionally met Lady or Trish, or she happened to meet both of them two or three times. After they had swept the place clean of demonic presence, they would all usually find a coffee shop and talk. Alex could say that they built some sort of odd friendship based upon the principle of eradicating demons.

The trio of huntresses had just finished up with said event, and Alex had just retrieved her decent amount of pay from the person that employed her for the job.

Alex walked out into the satisfyingly hot day before she heard that horrifying song: What's Up, People. Don't get her wrong, she loved Maximum the Hormone, but it was the ringtone that the song belonged to…

She really did have the uncanny ability to sense when she got paid, didn't she?

Alex slowly drew her Slvr out of her back pocket and hesitantly answered the dreaded call, "Hello…?"

"Hi, Alex! Did you just get paid?" questioned her dear, dear sister, Lily.

Alex grimaced, an utterly hopeless look distorting her face. "Yeah…how did you know?"

"Uh, I was just sitting on my couch when the back of my head started to tingle, and I thought about you and money at the same time…"

_'Yep, she's got one…' _

"Anyway," Lily began, "You want to go shopping today? It's summer, after all!"

Alex blew out a miserable sigh, "I guess…"

"Okay! Come pick me up!"

_Click. _Gone. Damn, she was going to have to pick her up…

_**Several agonizing hours later…**_

The trip hadn't gone _quite _like Alex had hoped…

First, she had to stop and get gas. Not only was it expensive, but there was some jackass in front of her that just took his sweet time…and hers.

Plus, traffic was hell. Actually, Hell appeared friendly next to the ferocious traffic Alex had faced.

_Then, there's Lily._

Alex was really going to have to ration how much food she ate for the next few weeks. After she picked Lily up from her apartment, she decided she wanted to visit the a little shop full of CDs with the excuse that she wanted to broaden her range of music. Her sister decided she was hungry, and they had to eat at a dine-in restaurant. (You know how bad fast food is for you! Besides, we haven't spent much time together lately!) **And when Alex thought it couldn't get any worse, **Lily spotted a "cute top" in a boutique across the street, and it led to another store, and another, _and another…_

"That will be one hundred thirty-two dollars and eighty-six cents," formally stated the store's cashier as she smiled sweetly and handed Lily her mass of bags. Alex really could have punched that smile right off of her face...and then beat Lily within an inch of her life.

Alex forlornly pulled out her wallet from her back pocket and handed the cashier the owed currency. She then scowled at a nervously grinning Lily.

"Thank you! Have a nice evening!" the cashier exclaimed. Lily smiled thankfully and Alex nodded curtly.

As they jogged out of the store, Lily just happen to spot another cool-looking shop. "Oo, Alex, I wanna-"

"No!" Alex snapped as she grabbed her sister's wrist and began to drag her along behind her.

"But...but why?" Lily whined.

_'Why, WHY?!'_ "Sweetie, if I happen to buy you anything else, I won't be able to eat until my next job."

"I can always pay you back!"

"Do you **ever** pay me back?"

"…no."

"There you have it, let's go." She then released her vice-like grip off of Lily's wrist as she entered the driver's seat. Lily plopped down in the passenger's seat and tossed her burden in the back.

"Well, today was rather satisfying!" Lily remarked as she stretched lazily in her seat.

"Oh yeah, so satisfying," Alex muttered sarcastically. _'I still have to stop at Pops' to give him the money...And Drago-sensei wants to see me tomorrow. No video games tonight. Woo.'_

"It's not my fault you didn't buy anything!" Lily smugly responded.

"I didn't have money _to_ buy anything. If I remember correctly, it was all spent on you." Alex retorted blandly.

"Damn good cause, I have to admit!" Lily declared.

"Sure, yeah. Just shut your mouth. I have half the mind to beat you already."

"Aww, you're such a meanie!" Lily pouted, but she shut her mouth anyway. Her sister was **scary** when she got angry...

Alex sighed contentedly as silence blanketed the interior of the car, earning a miffed look from Lily. _'Peace at last! Gosh, my feet are killing me...'_

She concentrated her gaze on the ever-darkening, winding city streets, eager to return to her apartment.

_**In another time…**_

It was very uneventful on the pitch-black highway. Alex coasted along boredly as Lily snoozed peacefully in the seat beside her. _'Well, at least she's enjoying herself!'_ Her dark eyes brightened slightly in recognition as she noticed the beaten path surrounded in tall grass that led to the home of her youth. She slowed to a cruise as she maneuvered her Mustang into the drive, the small rocks crackling under the weight of the tires. She decelerated the car's cruise into a stop as she reached the clearing near the porch.

The young woman then got out of her car and headed toward the old oak door. She knocked softly, knowing that the chirping of the crickets wouldn't block out the noise of the knock in the silent house.

A very surprised Lovely answered the door. "Alex, what's the matter?"

"There's nothing wrong. I was just returning Pops' money for the job," she murmured quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace. She then extended her right hand to reveal the wad of cash.

"Well, he's already in bed...Why didn't you just bring it tomorrow?" she whispered dubiously as she accepted the payment.

"I would have, but I have to meet Drago-sensei tomorrow. I didn't mean to disturb you," Alex apologized.

"Dear, it's alright! I was just enjoying a nice cup of coffee before I go to bed. Would you like to come in for some?" offered Lovely.

"I would love to, but I can't. Lily's in the car asleep...she's staying with me tonight." Alex gestured to her car.

"Oh, alright. Come see us more often! It's always so nice of you to visit," quietly responded Lovely.

"I'll make sure to try," confirmed Alex as she hugged the older woman.

As her mother made her way inside, Alex quickly strolled to her car and hopped inside. She hummed mutedly to herself as she revved her engine and sped away.

_**Back at the apartment...  
**_

_'Yes! We're back! Hello, bed! How I adore you!'_

"Lily, wake up. We're back," Alex murmured offhandedly as she thwacked the side of her sister's upper arm gently, earning a grumpy grunt from Lily.

Lily groaned as she stretched. "Is it okay if I just leave my stuff out here?" she mumbled.

"Sure, lazy. Just remember to get them when I take you back early tomorrow."

"Yeah, whatever. I just want to get to bed," mumbled an exhausted Lily. _'Sleeeep...'_

Since Lily was still in a sleepy stupor; Alex dragged her along fervently up the stairs of the apartment building to her apartment at the end of the corridor. She yanked the keys from her right front pocket (while Lily was leaning heavily on her back) and unlocked her door with a loud click. Grabbing Lily with her left arm, she used her right to pry open her door and walked into her sparsely decorated apartment.

"Oh, we're here? I didn't notice..." Lily yawned. She groggily pulled off her pair of Converse and hoodie, let them land unceremoniously on the dingy-colored floor, and stumbled down the hallway to Alex's bedroom.

_'Well...'_ Alex sighed irritably and proceeded to yank off her combat boots and coat.

Tossing her keys onto the dining table, she strode over to a secluded corner of her floor. She pulled out a lighter from her back pocket and lit a plain, vanilla-scented candle. Alex placed the lighter beside it before she stood back up to full height and strolled to her bedroom.

Lily was already in her bed, her clothes deposited messily on the floor. The older sister rolled her eyes, picked them up and folded them neatly, and made her way to her small dresser. She located a tank top and a pair of plaid boxers as she undressed from her black skinny jeans and t-shirt. Alexandra pulled on her boxers and walked back to the corner with the candle as she tugged on the tank top.

Lowering herself onto a spot on the floor near the corner, Alex crossed her legs into a meditating position. She relaxed her muscles as she inhaled slowly and closed her eyes. She willed herself to imagine a big, black void as she cleared all thoughts and doubts from her mind. What she failed to notice as she closed her eyes was the soot-like shadows slithering silently to her body...

_**She was standing in front a grand, intricately ornamented mirror in a grimy stone room.**_

_**She stared at her reflection curiously as she cautiously walked toward it. When she reached it, she touched it with her fingertips, studying her face. Her eyes widened as she watched the reflection's jaw line and nose lengthen and become more angular. The reflection's slender shoulders broadened and heightened. Her once messy hair cut elongated into sleek raven tresses. A male with her likeness stood in front of her.  
**_

_**"Who are you?" she asked him as she stepped back in shock. The mirror's surface liquefied, allowing the mysterious man to step out with a rather threatening sword grasped in his large fists.  
**_

_**"Why, I am you," he whispered pleasantly in her ear as he slammed the sword into her stomach...**_

Alex sucked in a great shuddering breath, pain ripping through her abdomen like fire when she broke from her trance. As she grabbed her stomach in pain, she ran a shaky hand through her sweat-ridden hair. "It was just a dream. It's okay, Alex, get a hold of yourself!" she muttered quietly.

Her instincts seem to be saying otherwise. When her back tingled with the sensation of being watched, she jerked her head around agitatedly, her sharp gaze detecting nothing. She released her held breath and warily stood up, joints popping back into place when she did.

The young woman prowled noiselessly to her bedroom as she listened intently to her surroundings, hoping to catch any unnatural noise.

Alex checked on Lily to make sure she was alright as she pulled her part of the sheets down and crawled in. Her younger sister instantly snuggled into Alex's warmth. She scoffed amusedly, _'She's sooo clingy...'_ Her eyelids drooped shut as her tense muscles relaxed into the cushion of the bed.

Not too long afterward, Alex drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_**In the morning...  
**_

_'Ah... What a good sleep...'_ Lily yawned widely, and she cracked her eyes open, only to be greeted by the sun's blinding light.

"ACK!!" Lily wildly cried and shot up in the large bed as she scrabbled at her eyes. She heard the rushed patter of feet as Alex appeared suddenly, looking rather ruffled and ready-to-kill.

"What is it?! Where's is it at?" Alex shouted.

"The light...it buuurrrnnnnsss!" Lily whined as she rubbed her irritated eyeballs.

Alex's battle stance slumped, "That's it?"

Lily stared at her sister blearily, still seeing colorful dots everywhere, "Uh, yeah?"

Alex scowled and stomped her way back to the kitchen.

_'Geez, what's her problem? Oo! Is that...food?'_

Alex broodily trudged back to the kitchen, miffed at the fact there wasn't a devil in her room to justify her dream-trance-thing last night. She glanced at the skillet to watch the bacon fry.

Lily staggered drowsily into the kitchen. "What's cookin'?" she muttered hazily as she stretched her snoozing muscles. She happened to wake up a little after that.

"Fried eggs and bacon," Alex answered.

Lily shoulders flopped, "Aw! No pancakes? You make good pancakes"

"Nope, we don't have time. Now, go do what you need to do to get ready because breakfast will be done in a few minutes."

Lily nodded sullenly, "Okay, I'm gonna take a shower."

"Don't take too long."

As Lily sluggishly trekked to her bathroom, Alex walked over to the refrigerator, pulled out the carton of eggs, and took a few into her hands. She cracked them open on the side of the skillet next to the bacon and let its contents plop into the pan, making it sizzle slightly.

Alex walked over to her one of her cabinets to retrieve some plates and glasses for two of them. After placing them on the table and covering a plate in napkins, Alex walked over to the frying pan and used a fork to remove the bacon slices. She arranged them on the plate, brought them to the table, and picked up the two other plates for the eggs.

About that time, Lily waltzed in. "Yo, you need any help?"

"Yeah, I need you to get out the orange juice." Alex positioned the eggs on the plates as Lily grabbed the orange juice from the refrigerator.

The pair plunked down into the chairs at the table, moving old, empty bill envelopes and Alex's keys and guns in the process.

"Now, what are you supposed to do today?" questioned Lily.

"I'm supposed to see Drago-sensei today. He sent me a letter, see?" Alex waved the envelope in her sister's face as she stuffed a few pieces of bacon in her mouth.

"He _still_ sends you letters? Why doesn't he just call you?" Lily asked incredulously. She cut into her egg and watched the yoke spill out like a gutted fish.

Alex shrugged, "I dunno, it's just his style."

After the two sisters finished their meal and cleaned up, Alex strapped on her gun holsters and placed her guns in them as she seized them from the table. "Okay, let's roll."

Lily strolled lazily to the door and slid into her pair of shoes and her hoodie, "That just sounds corny!"

"Oh well, it's not like you aren't," Alex retorted coolly.

"Hey!" Lily shouted angrily.

_**At her sensei's cottage...  
**_

She stared at the plain door of Dragomir's small bungalow. Almost as if he could sense her presence, the old man's tall, thin frame stood in the doorway in front of her.

A knowing smile lit up his face, "Ah yes, young one, come in." He always called her "young one" or some crap like that. It was only in very special instances that he actually called her by her given name.

_'Why he can't call me by my name I will never know...'_

As they sauntered into his small living room/kitchen, her teacher stopped in front of a loudly whistling kettle.

"Would you like some tea? It's chamomile," he offered.

"Um, yes please."

He poured them both a small tea-cup full, and they both sat down on the scarlet cushions positioned around his low dining table. "Did your last mission go well?"

"Yeah, but it was all spent on Lily last night..." she muttered crossly as she sipped up some of the sweet-tasting tea.

He chuckled quietly, "She can be quite the handful, can't she?"

"Oh, yes." She paused for a moment, "Sensei, I had something really weird happen last night."

His thick eyebrows peaked in interest, "Yes?"

"Well, I had this vision..." She then thought back a moment on what she saw before she began again, "I was standing in front of a mirror in a stone room. I was staring at myself, and my reflection suddenly started to morph...into a guy..." she trailed. Alex didn't really want to finish that thought. It creeped her out too much…

"Is that it?" he inquired.

"Well, no…This guy looked like me, for one, and he walked out of the mirror with a really big sword. When I asked him who he was, he ran me through with it…and told me that he was me..."

Her sensei's caterpillar-like eyebrows dipped again in contemplation, "Well, I'd have to think about that one...Oh, while I'm thinking about it, I have something for you…"

Alex followed his movement carefully as he raised himself from the floor and walked slowly towards an object hidden in a darker spot of the room.

He returned with an Odachi balanced in his bony fingers. The sheath and hilt were made of old, well-worn coffee-colored leather. A single red tassel adorned the tip of the hilt. Alex decided that she liked it. It was simple but practical.

She unsheathed it carefully, soaking in the detail of its shining blade and the strange, elaborate symbols carved into the blade. "Sweet."

"I happened to acquire it in a battle many years ago. Take care of it; its former master wasn't easy to kill..."

_'And he wasn't only that…' _

Alex nodded in understanding.

Her sensei began again, "Well, since it's demon-forged, at least it won't break."

She snorted, "How nice."

Her last weapon was broken in half by a horde of devils that she was fighting about two weeks ago. She felt almost naked without her trusted sword, and all she had to use were her guns and skills in combat. Those devils had paid dearly for that foul-up.

He shook his head in amusement, "Anyhow, go ahead and try it on for size!"

She carefully slid the odachi from its scabbard, and she proceeded to swing it in wide, graceful arcs at imaginary enemies, the odachi ringing viciously with each pretend blow.

A wide, jack-o-lantern grin then appeared on her face when she stopped.

"You like it?" he chuckled. She nodded silently.

"Be off with you, then!" he chortled as he slapped her teasingly in between her shoulder blades.

Alex smiled slightly as she left for his door.

_**In the dark hours of the night…**_

The moonlight cast a celestial glow on the pavement of dark, dead streets. After parking and locking her car in an off-to-the-side alley, Alex pulled her cigarettes out of her jacket pocket and lit one up. The smoke began to drift lazily into the night air, and she placed her headphones in her ears and set it on something suitable. She began to patrol casually, closing her eyes and allowing her nose and natural instinct to probe for any unearthly activity.

She had walked in circles for what she gauged to be about thirty minutes, and she was beginning to get a little antsy. _'It never takes them this long to show...'_ The familiar tingle of being watched slithered down her spine.

Alex then gripped the hilt of her odachi, senses put on high alert. Before she knew it, a pair of slightly-calloused fingers gently seized the headphones from her ears.

"You know, the volume of that has the potential to wake the dead," a smooth, vaguely familiar voice teased.

Like lightning, Alex twisted around to face the voice with her sword poised at its throat. Well, the 'it' was a he... _'Oh, it's...what's-his-name? Why do I have to suck with names? Uh...Dante, there it is.'_

Her taut muscles relaxed some, "Oh, it's just you."

He snorted sarcastically, "Oh yeah, it's just me." His silvery-blue eyes flickered down to her odachi, "Nice sword. You a lefty?"

"Yeah, I'm left-handed. Now gimme my iPod back," she mumbled sullenly. _'Something's just not right here...'_

"Well, aren't you a little pushy?" he snickered.

Her glare intensified as she inched the odachi forward, causing the tip to dig lightly into his neck.

As a few drops of his blood beaded from the small nick, he held his arms up in defense, "Okay, so I'll give it back!"

He warily pushed it into her outstretched fingers, acting as if touching her would prove fatal to his existence.

She suspiciously lowered her blade and placed it back in its covering, "Are you here for the job, too?"

"Yeah. They haven't show up yet, though," he answered indifferently.

Alex frowned, "That's odd..." Thinking on that for a few moments, the young woman then turned away to prowl once more, "Are you coming?" She hated partners but whatever. Her guts were telling her something was going to happen.

Dante looked mildly surprised, "Well, we're after the same thing after all..."

He elongated his strides to fall into step with Alex, where they walked in silence as they searched.

It had seemed like another hour had passed without a single trace of demonic presence, and things were starting to get irritating. Dante, bored out of his freaking mind at no activity and no talking, finally decided to start some conversation, "By the way, I never caught your name."

He watched the female beside him stare at him with her dark eyes, obviously deliberating the release of her name.

"It's Alexandra but call me Alex. I know yours already, so don't tell me."

He smirked as he remembered their rather unceremonious meeting. "Your sister's kinda cute..."

She had already pulled her odachi out if its sheath and pointed it at him. "I swear to God, if you **dare** touch my sister, I **will** turn you into a eunuch!"

"I'm just kidding...your sister's not really my type."

Her eyebrow raised in skepticism, "You have a type?"

His cerulean eyes gleamed wickedly, "You just happen to be my type..."

She eyed him blandly, "Why do I have the sudden urge to go commit suicide?"

Before the argument could continue, however, the pair halted their stroll. Alex could feel the hairs on the back of her neck and arms rise. _'They're here...'_

"You sense that?"

"Yeah..." she whispered as she wrinkled her nose, the foul stench of death erupting from the enclosed area a few meters ahead them.

"Okay," began Dante as he removed Rebellion from his back, "Let's rock!"

His heavy boots pounded a war rhythm into the ground as he paced toward the rusty gate that encased the place where the demons hid. Dante sliced it down easily as he strutted into the demon sanctuary.

Momentarily, Alex strolled casually by his side, preparing for the fight that waited.

"It's quite charming, isn't it?" Dante questioned sarcastically.

The moon's gentle light cast dark, eerie shadows in every hole and crevice. The pavement was cracked and crumbling, and the building looked like it hadn't been used in decades.

Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the movement of humanoid shapes in the blackness.

An almost cruel smile flit across Dante's face, "So that's where you're hiding at..."

Subsequently, his smile widened into a maniacal grin, "Hey, guys, aren't you gunna come out and play?"

The small, misshapen blobs erratically stood to full height and multiple pairs of strange orange eyes glowered ominously at his words. They watched as the figures glided quietly toward them, fully revealing cloaked bodies whose shapes weren't exactly defined, seemingly swelling and shrinking like compacted clouds of soot.

Dante raised his sword in challenge, "Wow, I've never seen you guys before... Let's see if you're actually worth my time!"

_'Well, if Lovely held a contest between him and her proudest rooster, he would win.' _Slowly, she brought her sword from its case and stared at it, _'It needs a name, but I'll think about that when my life's not in danger.'_

The two of them charged into the crowd, slashing and hacking at the screeching demons as dark-colored blood spattered everywhere. Several corpses collapsed onto the broken pavement before turning into small mounds of black ash, not the usual devil dust. Alex furtively glanced down at the piles, a light snarl escaping her lips, _'How fitting...'_

The chagrined female twisted elegantly as she sliced one demon in half and dug her odachi into several others. Unfortunately, the number of devils was multiplying...and fast.

Dante was laughing wildly, evidently enjoying his havoc-wreaking. She could feel the wind off of his powerful thrusts, and it felt kind of nice, considering she was pouring sweat and there wasn't even a lick of breeze. Drawing herself from her reflecting, she attacked her adversaries with renewed vigor, offing five or so demons in a single sweep.

_'How many more of these things are we going to have to kill? Geez!'_ After this single thought, the two of them fought another extensive period of time. Oddly enough, the devils surrounding Dante and Alex abruptly froze, their gazes turning toward the door of the old building.

"Return to me..." a voice whispered. The demons seemed to melt, all of them melding into a black wave, and the wave materialized into a black orb with strange symbols in a delicate, gloved hand.

A figure emerged from the dark doorway, appearing to be nothing more than a child no older than twelve. The child may have looked rather feminine, but Alex could tell it was a male.

He cast a disapproving pout in Dante's direction and sighed unhappily, "Oh, Master doesn't like Sparda!"

Alex smirked at a rather annoyed-looking Dante. She stared as the child turned to look at her.

"It looks like Dragomir has taught you well. Master will be pleased," he stated pleasantly. The huntress glared suspiciously at him, sensing something was wrong. "Since you look like my master, I don't want to do this to you...but my master gave me specific orders..."

He rushed speedily at her, allowing Alex only enough time to block his movement with her sword. The child grabbed it and roughly wretched it down with unexpected force. As the blade fell to the ground, the orb in his hand began to glow, and he used Alex's moment of shock to rip off her jacket sleeve and shove the orb onto her shoulder.

Alex let out an irritated cry of pain as it shattered, a black, grimy material much like what the devils were made from leaking from the breaks. Her small cry of pain became a shout as the material burned into her skin like acid as it was absorbed, leaving strange markings identical to the ones carved into the orb in its wake.

The last thing she saw was Dante storm after the bastard-of-a-ten-year-old, Rebellion clashing into the child's waiting palms.

"What in the hell did you do to her?"

Against her will, her eyes closed, but she heard the last bit of conversation.

"Do not worry, Son of Sparda. It was bound to happen anyway..." The kid continued with a sinister message, "She will come to my master...for power."

_**...**_

Bwuahahaha!! The suspense! (I hope I did a good job with that?) Was the last line too corny? Let me know!

* * *


	5. Caution: Bets Can Be Lethal

**Disclaimer: **I still do not own Devil May Cry.

**Chapter Rating: **Teen. Dirty mouths and dirty minds!

**A/N: **I feel like I ran around everywhere in this chapter. XD And that some parts kinda sucked... Oh, well. :\

And this story is probably going to slow down, even more so than now, since this was the last full chapter I had posted on evil, evil Quizilla. The next chapter is only about halfway written, and even after I completely write a chapter, I go through and make revisions...and then there's my procrastinating...

_Anyway, _enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_**In the eyes of Dante…**_

Dante knew he was going to hate that little kid, oh yes. The brat just had to mention his oh-so wonderful father. His 'master' obviously had some sort of stupid grudge, and the fucker didn't have the courage to take it up with Sparda. So what do they do? They decide to pick on him! But they had another thing comin'… It's called getting their asses handed to them. (Insert maniacal laughter here.)

Then there was some crap about Alex. Stuff about how she looked like his 'master' and how she had proven herself a worthy fighter or whatever. Geez, she'd probably still be there killing them if he didn't happen to show up when he did. And then, the bastard attacked Alex. He ripped her sleeve off and shoved this orb-thing onto her shoulder, and it broke, with gross-looking liquid spewing all over her arm. Alex just cried out in pain and collapsed onto the ground.

Dante experienced **much more** pain than that, and he **didn't even pass out**! (But in the back of his mind he knew better; he had witnessed the burns that stuff left behind. It didn't look too pretty. And the stupid kid said something about it being bound to happen as he "melted" into the shadows. Damn creep.)

And he said something else. She was supposed to come to this kid's 'master' for power… He had already experienced enough people craving power. The main one was his very twin brother, Vergil. Dante would have never admit that to anyone (much less his brother), but that jackass meant so freakin' much to him, it hurt.

He watched over the years of his life the number of demons grow dramatically as they attempted to kill him and take the power of Sparda to open the portal. Dante, of course, had foiled their attempts, but it got old pretty damn fast. The seasoned devil hunter really didn't know how much more of it he could take, but he figured it would have to be craploads more.

Another thing…how was he supposed to get Alex back to wherever she needed to go? She was out cold…he checked. You know, by poking her with his foot, and then his guns, and _then_ saying some pretty controversial statements **loudly**. He finally resorted to calling her name and shaking her, but no response. Dead…as a doornail.

He sighed irritably, "How the hell did she get here, then?" _'Wasn't there a Mustang in an alleyway somewhere?'_ whispered the rational, perceptive part of his head. Dante trudged over to a passed-out Alex and bent down to search her pockets for keys. In her front pockets, all he contracted were a few bucks in cash. (It took him quite a lot of chivalry to just not put those few bucks in his pocket.) _'Okay…'_

He reached into her jacket pockets, and she stirred lightly as he carefully pulled out several wads of lint. Ew. _'Wait, please don't tell me…'_ Yep, he was gonna have to search her back pockets. Oh joy!

Turning her over gently in his arms, his fingers brushed back her jacket to reveal …a key-shaped object in one of her pockets!

He reached almost eagerly, digging his fingers into the small pocket and extracting the keys. Dante thanked his luck profusely as the Ford emblem peeked at him. Moving Rebellion, he scooped up Alex up in his arms (as large as she was) and situated her on his back.

By the way her face fell on his shoulder, her shallow breathing tickled his neck, almost provocatively. The demon hunter caught himself wishing he could have someone do that more often. _'Bad Dante! There's no time for that…'_

_**At Devil May Cry…**_

Dante had finally reached Devil May Cry, hoping Trish or Lady would know what to do. (He wasn't good at this kind of thing. If it had anything to do with procrastinating or eating pizza, he was guy to ask.) He drove back carefully, noticing how Alex took good care of her car.

If there was one incident he didn't want to repeat, it was when he wrecked Lady's _brand spanking new_ motorcycle…without asking to borrow it. Lady almost killed him, for one, and then she added the repairs to Dante's debt. No thanks; he would pass!

He heaved Alex on his back once more, walked to the door, and kicked it in.

A shocked Lady and Trish were draped casually on his desk, apparently talking. (Probably about how to kill him…) Their gazes shifted to the female on his back.

"What happened?" asked an alarmed Trish. Lady moved toward Dante and helped him move her to the couch.

"I happen to meet her during the mission. We fought demons, crap happened, and she passed out."

"What's this on her shoulder?" inquired a rather puzzled-looking Lady. She gently touched the markings with her fingers, and Alex's face twitched in pain.

"Like I said, crap happened." The two other females sighed in agitation.

"I'll go get the first aid…" muttered Trish, and she left the room.

The ancient phone on his desk rang loudly, and Lady answered it, "Devil May Cry. This is Lady."

He watched boredly as she straightened fully to retrieve a piece of paper and pencil to write down some information from the caller.

"Yes, I'll get on it right away," she stated as she hung up.

"Sorry, but I have to go. Duty calls." She strapped Kalina Ann to her back and strolled casually through the open entryway, the doors hanging precariously from the hinges.

Dante shook his head lightly, and shuffled toward the couch where Alex lay.

He leveled himself on the floor near the couch and stared intently at the strange markings. A sudden urge to touch it caught his fingers, and before he knew it, he had softly placed his fingers on her smooth skin as he traced them. The markings on her shoulder transformed into to a strange shade of violet at his touch, and Alex breathed in deeply, his fingers seeming to sooth the pain in her shoulder.

The devil hunter scoffed quietly as he moved back when he heard Trish's stealthy footsteps.

"Okay, let's see what we have here…" she declared, pulling out rubbing alcohol and some cotton balls. She poured some of the liquid on a wad and gently dabbed some blood away from the third-degree burns.

Dante's partner was nearly knocked backward as Alex shot up and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snarled, eyes blazing an odd orange color before returning to their natural obsidian. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had done, and she released her rough hold on Trish, "I'm sorry."

"…It's alright…Are you okay?" she questioned, her expression quirky and suspicious.

"My head feels like a ton of bricks….you have any vodka?" she mumbled, unconsciously scratching at her tingly shoulder.

"Vodka?"

"I just had the craving…I haven't had a glass in a while."

"Lemme go check….hopefully, Dante hasn't sucked us dry."

"Hey, you guys are the vodka-types. I like my beer better," he indignantly cut in. _'Oh yeah, blame me for your problems!'_

Trish rolled her eyes and disappeared into another room once again, hips swinging with every step.

Alex looked over to Dante, "What happened after I passed out?" she murmured as she stared at him almost shyly from behind her hair. She didn't really like the fact the she had been caught in a weak moment only hours before, and that someone, _Dante_ no less, had witnessed it.

He shrugged, "Eh, the kid said a couple more things-"

"I caught that."

"Oh? Well, he just sorta disappeared into the shadows…." he whispered mystically, flourishing his hands mysteriously to complete the notion.

Alex only shook her head in slight exasperation and carefully pushed herself up from the uncomfortable couch, grunting as she stretched sore muscles and realigned joints.

Brushing past Dante, she grabbed for her sword, gun belt, and coat. She pushed her arm through the coat's tattered sleeve and moaned, "The stupid fucker ripped my jacket! And it was my favorite…"

Dante eyes shone with amusement. Sensing his gleeful looked, Alex shot him a glare, "Don't give me that look. You look like Lily after she's tortured me with her impulse shopping…"

"Hey..Alex! Here's some…I thankfully had a hidden bottle…" sang Trish, brandishing a glass full.

"Thanks," she mumbled, bringing the glass and taking a careful sip to test it. She smacked her lips lightly before throwing her head back to toss the rest of the glass down her throat. The corners of her mouth upturned in satisfaction.

"Well…" announced Trish as she took the glass from Alex's fingers. "I'm guessing you like alcohol?"

Alex exhaled sharply in an amused fashion, "I do enjoy drinking contests from time to time."

Dante smirked, "Do you, now?"

A smug look wiggled onto Alex's visage, "I happen to beat a couple of old devil hunters twice my size, and they happened to be veterans of the contest."

Dante jeered, "Aw, that's nothin'!"

Her eyebrows rose slightly, "Do tell…"

"Have you ever beaten a demon?"

"Well, no. They haven't lived long enough for them to request one."

He snickered," Well, I'm requesting one now!"

Alex almost stupidly asked if he was half-devil but remembered what that kid had said, and the fragments a long-lost memory of some of her sensei's teachings, phrases like, 'Sparda saved the human realm by sealing off the demon plain,' and 'Sparda sired twin sons.'

The female also recalled how her sensei talked about Sparda like he was a god (he almost was), and that made her want to meet the sons of Sparda one day. It was kinda funny; she was glaring at one of them now.

"Alright, you have one!"

She nearly jumped as her cellphone gave a violent shake on her belt loop, pelting out "What's Up, People?" as the ringtone.

She sighed in aggravation and answered it rudely, "What now, Lily?" Alex ripped the phone away from her ear as Lily's voice wailed through the receiver.

"**WEGOTAGIG, WEGOTAGIG!!YESSIR, WEGOTONE**!!" she squealed. If Alex wasn't so talented at understanding unintelligible screeches, she wouldn't have caught what she said.

Dante and Trish took a wary step away from Alex.

"Where at?" she groused. _'She'll be the death of me, I swear.'_

"At the Underground, can you believe it?" she squeaked happily.

Alex made a noise of approval, "Well, you're telling me this, so I guess I have to believe it." _'The Underground? Wow, Lily and the guys struck it pretty big…'_

"Are you going to come?" she queried, slightly fearful because she knew of her sister's detestment of large and rowdy crowds.

Alex smacked herself in the face, "Lily, I'm your sister. Duh." She then smirked sadistically as an evil idea popped into her head, "You mind if I bring a few friends along?"

Lily nearly chocked in surprise, "You have frie- uh, who exactly are we talking about here?" she peeped.

"You know….Trish, Lady, Dante?" She cackled maniacally (in her head, of course) as she heard Lily crash on something as she fell in shock.

"Uh…sure. _Why Dante_..?"

"We have to settle something…"

"Please don't tell me-"

"Oh, yes."

"Okay, then….They told us that the drinks were on the house, and I can tell them you're with us. But I'll do that on _one_ condition…"

Alex knew Lily intentionally left out the last part of the wager just so she'd have to ask. (She knew the grin on her face would have even made the devil wet his knickers…)

"What?" she growled lowly; she could imagine that grin reaching titanic proportions.

"You and Dante would have to dance…together!"

"Hell, no!"

"Aw, come on, Alex! I haven't seen you dance in a while… especially with a guy! You know you could enchant any man, and probably women, with those bodacious hips of yours!"

"Do you understand how drunk I would have to be for that notion to even be possible?" she hissed, not liking what she was hearing. (Well, dancing was okay. But she really hated dancing with men. Men…most definitely weren't her strong suit. Killing off demons? Give her a second. But dealing with men? Give her something, _anything _to shoot herself with.)

"My exact point!"

Her brain tried to reason with her, _'Come on, Alex, you know you want that alcohol in your system!'_ She answered back,_ 'Don't you get that I destroy pieces of you every time I drink?_' It was silent for a second, _'Yeah…but so! It makes you feel good.'_

Alex rolled her eyes. "Lemme just call you back. I have to discuss this with my opponent here."

"You're there right now?"

'_Isn't it kind of obvious? But then again, it's my sister I'm talking about...' _Yeah, I happen to meet Dante on my mission. Some stuff happened and I passed out."

"Oh, trying to make him your devilish handsome knight-in-armor?" Lily taunted.

Alex's eyebrow twitched angrily, "I wouldn't dare dream of doing so."

"Well, you're alright now though?" she whispered.

'_Oh, so she shows concern, __**now**__?' _

"Yes, now lemme call you back." She hung up on her sister, not even waiting for her response.

Dante stood arrogantly, muscular arms folded over his chest. "Well?"

"I have decided to do this properly. My sister and her band have a gig at The Underground."

Trish's lips parted slightly in wonder, "The club?"

Alex nodded her head, "And I'm inviting you, Lady, and Dante to come along, if you wish."

She smirked, "Would I ever…"

Alex turned back to Dante, "My sister informed me that drinks will be on the house for her and the boys. She has promised to tell the managers that we're with them…on one condition."

Dante scoffed in amusement, "What's the conditon?"

"…We have to dance….together," she spat out, disliking the way the last word tasted.

He smirked, eyes dancing with pleasure at her disgust, "You dance?"

"I don't like to, but I'm actually very good at it," she mumbled.

He rubbed his chin in mock thought, "Well, a chance to dance with a hot chick…and all the alcohol I can stand? That's just too good of a chance to pass up!"

He watched in amusement as he watched the muscles in her jaw twitch as she dialed her sister's number.

'_This is all for the alcohol, Alex, all for the whiskey and vodka…'_

"You meanie, you hung on me!" her sister whined.

"We'll do it," Alex sighed irritably. The events had turned against her…in the worst possible way. Dante just got on her nerves. Well, she somewhat knew why she found him so infuriating. The little kid's master didn't like his father, and she knew she had to be of some value to that kid's master…

"Okay!" Lily chirped, "Meet us there at nine tomorrow night!" It was her turn to leave Alex hanging now.

Alex grunted as Lily hung up on her, "Okay, guys, meet me at The Underground tomorrow at nine."

Alex glared at a triumphantly smiling Dante, "The deal is sealed, then?" she muttered as she hesitantly held out her hand to shake his.

He grabbed her hand and shook it gruffly, smirking pleasantly as he felt imaginary sparks fly from their death grip on each other's fingers, "So says the loser."

The thoroughly irritated female broke off the clutch-of-doom first, "Asking for your death wish, aren't you?"

Trish just stood there, soaking up the interaction of the fighting pair, '_This ought to prove an interesting bet…'_ "What are the two of you going to wager?"

"What?" asked an alarmed Alex. _'Is it just me, or is this getting worse by the second?!'_

This time, Dante crossed his arms in contemplation, "Lemme think…." he paused, then started again, "If I win, you have to go on a date with me. I haven't had something fun to do lately…"

Alex really hoped she could just hit the floor dead after the he said those blasphemous words, but the Big Guy wouldn't cut her any slack. "Alright," she mumbled, "If I win, you have to shut up and leave me alone."

Dante held up his arms in defense, "Okay, I'll do what you say…if you win," he snickered.

Trish giggled evilly in her head, deciding it might be the right time to utilize her matchmaking skills. Oh, Lady was going to be SO pleased with this development….

About that time, Alex and Dante felt a chill creep down their spines.

'_Why do I suddenly get the sense of foreboding?'_ Alex wondered to herself. Dante just shook his head gently to rid himself the sensation. (It was nearly unnoticeable, but Trish caught it…)

"I think I'll go ahead and get home," Alex proclaimed as she walked toward the un-doored entrance of Devil May Cry, "See you guys tomorrow night." She cast them a feeble wave of goodbye, and ambled out into the early morning darkness.

After Alex closed the doors, Dante announced, "Well, I think I'm going to take a shower and head to bed now."

Trish let a small yawn, "You do that."

_**Later…**_

It was about two hours after Alex left the shop before an exhausted Lady returned.

"I really could use a shower…" she mumbled tiredly.

Trish answered her, "Dante's already used it, just to warn you…"

"Oh, great," Lady moaned, "There won't be anymore hot water!" She cursed under her breath as she leaned onto Dante's desk. She looked about the room, "Where's Alex?"

"She left."

"Oh…"

"You have to hear this…"

Lady's only response was a questioning gaze.

"Alex has invited us to go to The Underground at nine tonight!" (It was already around five, what's the point of calling it tomorrow?) She stopped to let it sink in and started again, "Alex and Dante are having a drinking contest…and they made a bet."

Lady rolled her eyes, "Alex has already lost."

Trish shrugged easily, "I don't know. From what she told us, she's quite an accomplished drinker."

Lady exhaled sharply and relaxed her shoulders, "What's the bet?"

"Well, they have to dance together to begin with. Alex's sister made her promise to do that if she were to buy them drinks… Then she and Dante made their wager. If Dante wins, she has to go on a date with him. If she wins, he has to leave her alone."

Lady's slender eyebrows peaked in surprise, "Oh my."

Trish smiled maliciously, "Yes. I do believe this is an ample opportunity."

Lady's smile reflected Trish's.

Trish yawned delicately, "Well, good morning," she laughed, getting up from Dante's chair and headed to her quarters.

"Good morning to you, too," Lady whispered as she also turned in for the remainder of the darkness.

_**At Alex's apartment…**_

Thankfully, Alex had returned to her apartment safely. The pain in her shoulder had progressed from an uncomfortable tingle to a painful burning. She growled as she reached inside the medicine cabinet in her miniscule bathroom and pulled out three Aleve. (It was the only thing that would work. She had to take three…two weren't powerful enough.)

She trudged into her kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. After shoving the pills in her mouth, she gulped down a few sips and placed the glass in the sink. The tired female looked over to the clock on the wall. _'It's already seven thirty in the morning? Damn…'_

Hoping to grab a couple hours of sleep, Alex trudged over to her bedroom.

Silence cloaked the apartment.

_**After hours of much-needed rest…**_

Alex groaned as she stretched her tired muscles, popping kinked-out joints back into place. She turned her head groggily to stare blearily at the clock for a minute or two. What it read wasn't registering. 2:15...2:16...2:17...Wait, what? _'It's already two seventeen? I feel like I've slept for only an hour…'_ She groaned crossly as she tossed her sheets back and slumped out of her bed, muscles screaming their objections with her every movement.

Alex trudged to the kitchen at the sound of her stomach as it howled for food. _'Let's see….Apple Jacks…Peanut Butter Captain Crunch…Frosted Flakes?'_ Didn't she eat such childish cereal? But whatever, grown-up cereal was for sophisticated jerk-offs.

Deciding on Captain Crunch, she slid a bowl out of the cabinet, poured milk cereal and milk into it, and plopped down at her sad excuse of a dining table. (When Lily is your sister, you can afford nothing else.)

She checked her cellphone for any recent calls, hoping she hadn't received any. Thankfully, she hadn't gotten any calls since she fell asleep about eight hours ago. Alex finished up her bowl of cereal in a record time of seven minutes (and the bowl was entirely full) and deposited it in the sink.

She frowned at the pile of dishes that had accumulated over the past week or so. _'This is when a dishwasher would be handy…'_ The young woman glared forlornly at her nearly empty cabinets and sighed. Turning the hot water knob with a flick of her wrist, she squeezed some dish soap in the sink and waited for it to fill with water.

Alex opted to quickly scan over her living room and bedroom for stray dishes. (You never know with Lily and her when they got going.) She found a couple of stray dishes in her living room and a cup or two in her bedroom. After she returned, she dumped them in the heavily-steaming water. She began her vigorous scrubbing of some crusted-over casserole pans. (She liked to indulge herself when she had some time and money.)

Situating the pans in the dish rack to dry, she effortlessly washed the other dishes and utensils in about ten minutes.

She removed the plug and allowed the water to drain from the sink before she washed her hands of the icky grime that the dirty dishes had given her. Eagerly, she waltzed over to her Play Station 2 and turned it on as she fingered through her extensive video game collection. _'What to play, what to play?'_

Leon from Resident Evil 4 smirked deviously up at her, almost as if telling her it was his turn. A big grin flashed on her face, and she happily extracted the CD from its case, eager to destroy the gargantuan hordes of Ganados.

_**After hours of virtual destruction…**_

Whew! She had finally slaughtered her way through the eight chapter. (She liked to savor the scenery and run around, so she tried to destroy the Ganados in small numbers at a time.) Alex paused her game to stare up at the clock. _'Holy crap! It's already six? I need to start getting ready!_'

Luckily, she had just saved her last leg at one of the type writers. The melancholy female slowly pressed the switch to turn it off, wishing with all her heart that she could dance with Leon…not Dante. (Leon was hot for a video game character, alright? Dante may be damn fine, but it was just kinda icky…)

_'I might as well pick out my clothes first…that's probably what going to take the longest…'_Alex couldn't help it if she was incredibly picky about she wore to her sister's gigs, she was out to impress. The young, slightly irritated woman padded silently to her bedroom and stared dreadfully at her closet.

She scanned through some of her clothes before her eyes landed on her _favorite_ corset. Unfortunately, she wasn't going to wear that by itself…she was too modest for that. Her brilliance suddenly kicked in as she recalled her cerulean, silk-like button up shirt tucked away in the corner of one of her drawers.

As she dug it out, she ran her fingers over the dainty fabric, wheels in her head turning in deliberation of possible outfit pieces. She scrambled suddenly back over to her closet, tearing her most comfortable flared dress slacks off of a hanger. _'PERFECT! Oh yes, you can thank me for being awesome now.'_

Alex placed her clothes on her bed to remember to iron them after she had her bath.

She sauntered to her bathroom and turned on the hot water and waited for it to heat up. After she decided she was satisfied with the temperature, Alex stripped from her dirty clothes and sunk into the water. _'This is beautiful!'_ The utterly relaxed female reached for her nicest smelling body wash and lathered a luxurious amount of it along her body, savoring the incense-like smell. She washed her hair and face, and she just sat in the water, enjoying the balmy heat.

After about forty or so minutes of bathing, she finally crawled out and wrapped her self in a towel. She walked back into her bedroom to turn on the iron, leaving it there to return later to the ironing-board when it was hot.

Alex pulled out a pair of boy-short underwear and her lacy black bra from her dresser drawers and let the towel drop on her hardwood floor as she yanked on the two undergarments. (She wasn't very modest when she put on her underclothes, but then again, who was?)

She placed the pants on the ironing-board first, carefully pressing, shifting, and pushing the iron to completely straighten the wrinkles in the material. Then, she treated her button-up shirt in the same manner. Alex grabbed all of the pieces together in her arms.

First, she slid her long legs into her slacks and buttoned them. Subsequently, she buttoned up her shirt, leaving only about to buttons at the top open to display her collar-bones. (Oddly, Alex was very proud of her collar bones and was actually eager to show those suckers off.) Afterwards, she barely put on her corset correctly as she struggled to tighten the strings without killing herself. To complete the outfit, she pulled on her pair of plain, black leather cowboy boots. (They looked really cool, okay?)

Waltzing back to her bathroom, she uncovered her make-up stash, which was covered in dust. She quickly applied a layer of black eyeliner and lipgloss.

Alex stared at her reflection in sudden remembrance of her dream, watching in horror as it seemed to shift and mold into the mysterious male's countenance. She flinched backward and hurried out of her bathroom quickly, willing to rid herself of that vision. Inhaling a deep, shuddering breath, Alex scrabbled for her keys on the table, hoping to clear her mind as she drove for The Underground and her fate of the evening.

_**After finally arriving at The Underground…**_

Oh, she dreaded every step she took closer. (Maybe it wasn't too late to turn back? But then again, she didn't want to be seen as a coward.) She effortlessly spotted Trish, Lady, and Dante…the way they held themselves alone was enough to make them stick out.

It was already 8:55, and her sister, the other members of Undead Rampage, and the trio of demon hunters stood on one side of the bodyguards who were to allow them in the door before the ever-growing line.

Lily looked around the sea of faces of the crowded street and caught sight of her sister. '_Wow, I guess she decided to dress up tonight! Is it for Dante? Hee hee!'_ She grinned deviously as she noticed her sister wearing the corset that she, the awesome Lily, happen to buy her for her birthday. (It happened to be one of her observant days when she saw Alex nearly drooling at it from a shop window.)

"Dearest sister, there you are!" she shouted cheerily as she glomped her sister when she got into her range.

Alex released a strangled groan as her sister collided into her torso, reflexively wrapping her arms around Lily's smaller frame. "It's nice to see you, too," she rasped.

"I see you're wearing the corset I bought you…It looks nice," she announced slyly, "I hope you're not trying to impress a certain someone…."

Alex shot Lily a vaguely aggravated look, "Only every other person that listens to you guys…"

"Yeah…sure, Alex, if that's what you want us to believe."

Alex was pummeled with another forceful hug.

"Yo, Alex!" greeted the drummer of her sister's band, Hayden. His soft hazel eyes twinkled and wild blonde hair flew with his excited, vigorous jumping. He was the hyper one of the group (He made Lily look calm in comparison) and very adorable.

Alex would have totally gone for him if he wasn't younger than she was. (The thought of dating younger guys kind of creeped her out.) _'He claims he's my "brother from another mother", anyway.'_

She stared at the other members of the group.

Jack, the bassist, back up vocals, and Lily's best friend, gave a silent nod. He, Lily, and Alex went _way _back. They hey had known each other since Lily and he were little brats in the eighth grade. (He was practically in love with Lily, and it was very obvious in the way he treated her. But it was Lily they were talking about here.)

The two fraternal twin guitarists, Sid (short for Sidney; she was a girl) and Lance, waved at her happily in unison, anxious expressions written across their faces. The pair may have fought a lot, but their harmony was second to none.

After the band's greetings, Alex turned to face her fellow devil hunters. A dressed up Lady and Trish flashed her enthused smiles, and Alex gave them her mysterious half-smile.

"So, are you ready to be beaten at your own game?" Dante smirked.

"Are you?" she retorted coolly.

"Alex could beat you at it any day, yo!" Hayden declared, sounding much like Reno from Final Fantasy: Advent Children. (They all happened to like that movie.)

It became apparent after he said this that Lily had informed them of the strangers and the situation.

_'Yeah, Lily, tell everyone my business!' _

"I don't think she's had quite my level of competion yet…" he provoked.

Jack scoffed quietly. "You don't know Alex," he answered in his soft, courteous quality.

"Well, after I win, I will be," Dante gloated.

Alex pinched her nose in vexation as Jack's dull gaze slid over on her questioningly. "We made a bet….He wins, he gets a date. If I win, he leaves me the hell alone…"

Her sister's best friend gave a nod in understanding. _'Dear God, Alex, you obviously get thrills from doing some pretty crazy things…' _

"Alright, you can go in now," mumbled a very large and threatening bodyguard as he peered at them through his sunshades.

"Yaaaaaaayyyyy!!" squealed Lily and Hayden simultaneously as they grabbed each other's hands and twirled in circles.

Alex shook her head and calmly made her way inside, the parade of weirdness trailing behind her.

The four devil hunters ambled casually over to bar as Lily and the members of Undead Rampage disappeared backstage to set up their equipment before they brought it on the stage. All four gazes inspected the room uninterestedly as streams of richer clubbers trickled in haughtily from the modern double-doors first.

"Well, I can say I've never been here, though I hear it's all the rave," Lady mused aloud.

"I have….I snuck in when I was eighteen," stated Alex matter-of-factly. Her three guests stared at her weirdly.

"What? It was a dare, and The Underground wasn't all that ritzy then."

An announcer suddenly appeared on stage through the crimson curtains, "Okay, ladies and gentleman, I am pleased to present tonight's performers, Undead Rampage!"

The band burst out on stage from behind the blood-colored curtains, and the crowd gave a cautiously energized roar. Alex and company cheered at their arrival.

Alex turned to the bartender, "One Bloody Mary, please." He smiled graciously at her as he handed the drink to her, thinking she was kind of cute.

Dante gave him a possessive glare, smirking as he quickly retreated to serve another customer.

Alex had not noticed his smile since she was too busy eyeballing the Bloody Mary. She loved her alcohol, didn't she?

"Are you trying to lose before we even start?" he snickered as he plopped into the bar chair beside her; Lady and Trish had already walked to the large dance floor, fervent to dance their stress away as the music started.

"I don't like to dance unless I've had alcohol. It loosens me up a little."

"Maybe I ought to take you home after you're drunk..."

Her only response was a vicious glare. He smiled pleasantly, "Hey, bartender, get me a beer, will ya?" The bartender gave a slightly-intimidated nod as he grabbed for a cold beer, snapped of the bottle cap, and handed it to Dante. The devil hunter nodded in an acknowledging manner before taking a deprived gulp.

"Are you going to get out there or what?" he asked boredly. He was kind of looking forward to watching her dance...And dancing with her, even though he only had a vague idea of what to do.

But he really wasn't worried about the dancing. When you have unnaturally sharp eyesight and coordination, you wouldn't worry about it, either.

"Eh, I guess I'll get out there in a few minutes. That is, if the line-up is what I expect it to be."

He turned back around to face the ever-growing crowd, the mass of limbs rising and falling as Lily's sweet, powerful voice rose over the roar. "She sounds good."

Alex eyed Dante, "You've never heard her sing the Phantom of the Opera with Jack. It'll give you chill bumps."

_'Oh yeah, Trish and Lady love that movie. I don't really see why, though. It's just a musical..._'

Alex's dark-eyed gaze narrowed, "Don't think it's just some dumbass musical. It's a gorgeous movie."

Dante shook his head in amusement and smarted off, "I would never think that..."

"Well, if I do have to go on a date with you, I'm going to make you watch Sweeney Todd...and Corpse Bride...and Nightmare Before Christmas..." she reasoned. (She could have nearly slapped herself, and Dante, when she said that before it registered.)

Dante smirked triumphantly to himself; she was clearly warming up to him...

The part sat in silence for a few more minutes as they sipped on their beverages. Alex's head perked up at the beginning of the familiar chords; she **loved** this song. She suddenly jumped up from her chair, leaving her three-fourths empty Bloody Mary on the bar.

Dante jerked his head over to where she used to be, deciding to give her some time to "warm up." He watched her long legs carry her into the crowd to where Lady and Trish were currently catching the attention of many men.

Welcome to Limbo

Heaven rejected you

Hell spat you out

Forever sorrowful we misfits are

….

He observed the scene disinterestedly as the haunting melody sent an involuntary tingle up his spine; he gazed at his companions and Alex as they swung their hips expertly in time to beat. The beat sped up and the guitarists went rampaging on a barbaric rift, the loud notes ripping through the building's speakers.

We see but never experience

Heaven's sweet embrace

Hell's terrible fury

The condemned that are never complete

….

Their dancing had apparently mystified the other clubbers; the male population's lustful gazes were locked onto the three women. He noticed Lily smirk at her sister in the middle of the dance floor, and she continued the song.

Angels smile sadly at the gates

Devils grin evilly from the shadows

The meadow's fruits and the river's waters are never fulfilling

Because there is nowhere to escape

….

Dante found it kind of hard to tear away his gaze. Alex was right, she was good. Lily didn't lie when she said her hips could enchant people... (That's right, he had heard the phone conversation. The _entire_ conversation...) Lily paused her singing, and all three guitarists began their solos. The crowd was in uproar at this point; they all seemed surprised that the group of amateurs was so good.

We see but never experience

Heaven's sweet embrace

Hell's terrible fury

The condemned that are never complete

Nowhere to run

No way to touch

All we are is the inbetween

….

The drummer and the guitarists were playing heavily on their instruments once more, and Lily hit a piercing high note. Jack's playing surged through again as Lily began the ending lines.

Nowhere

No way

There is no hope us

Dante turned to pay the still-scared bartender for his and Alex's drinks since someone hadn't informed him yet, _'Tch. What a little pussy.'_

The three females came stumbling up to the bar, three equally-large smiles on their faces.

"Good job, ladies. I say you nearly brought the club to its knees," he snickered. Lady and Trish seated themselves in the two chairs surrounding Dante while Alex stayed standing.

Out of the crowd slunk a tired looking Sid, "Hi, Alex. I was just about to inform the barkeeper of you guys."

"Oh, thanks. You guys are really putting on a show out there."

Sid flashed Alex a worn grin, "Thanks. I fortunately have a break for a few minutes before I have to get back up there." She waved weakly at her before she sat on the other side of the bar to talk to the bartender.

Dante turned his pretty head to look at Alex, "Are you ready to be brought to your knees?" Lady and Trish rolled their eyes, deciding that was their cue to go back to the dance floor.

Alex scoffed, "We'll see…." "Hey, bartender, we need a couple rounds of whiskey over here!" she called over the loud talking of some drunken clubbers near them.

"Whiskey?" Dante muttered.

"I'm not drinking beer."

"You're just weird, then."

"And you're just gross."

The bartender perked up at the sound of her voice, filled two glasses nearly to the brim, and handed them graciously to her, "Oh, and your friend happened to tell me about you guys."

She inclined her head quickly in appreciation, "Alright, thanks." Alex quickly strode over to Dante as she pushed the glass into his fingers.

He smirked as he raised his glass a hair, "May the best drinker win."

She jerked her glass up lightly, "Bottom's up." The glasses of whiskey sloshed down their throats.

"One…."

_**Many, many drinks later…**_

Damn, this wasn't easy! Alex's head buzzed unpleasantly; it felt like bees were spinning in her head. She found it difficult to concentrate on the number of rounds they had drunk. _'I think it's our thirty-fifth, but we've could've had more…'_ (The bartender had started to look afraid around the tenth round.) Her face was still stony and undrunken-looking, thankfully.

And these strange, foreign thoughts kept slipping into her head, and the voice was not of her conscious. It had stared about the fifteenth round of whatever they decided on, but she decided to ignore it.

_**'Doesn't he just look delightful? Don't you want a taste?' **_cooed a deep, alien voice.

She stared blankly at a leaning-back Dante, suddenly finding the concept of restraining herself from pouncing on him and eating his face off very complicated. Thankfully, he was staring at the crowd and not at her. He would have probably watched in amusement as the war was fought on her face.

_'No, he doesn't. Now go away.'_

But her body told her otherwise. Her stomach leaped in excitement and her skin crawled, just itching to kiss his very nice lips. _'Wait, what? Ew. It's Dante, no.'_ She clenched underneath the bar counter with her fingers, only stopping her death-squeeze when she heard a small popping noise as the counter seemed to groan at the pressure.

"Woah, you okay? No need to kill the counter if you're mad that you can't beat me…" Dante teased.

She only grunted in reply, careful not look at his face in fear of what may happen. Alex could sincerely say this has never happened to her before, or not like this, anyway.

_**'Come on now, Alexandra, don't be that way. You know you'd **__**kill**__** for just one…'**_

The voice used her entire name, and it set off alarms in her brain, _'Wait, Alex, this isn't normal! Better do the barrier-thing…'_ (It sounded relatively tiny compared to this new voice.)

_**'There is no point. I am too far in your mind.'**_ The buzz of the alcohol became worse and her shoulder was beginning to twinge.

Alex turned to face the crowd, taking note of how the mass was beginning to blur somewhat.

"Holy crap, you guys look shit-faced!" gasped Lance.

Dante huffed out a light snicker, "You think?"

_'We do…? I must be drunker than I thought…'_

Lance stole Alex's nearly-empty glass from her loose fingers and took a sip, "I'm guessing you know what song we're about to play since I'm on break…"

"What time is it?" she mumbled boredly.

"Three thirty-five."

God, she and Dante had been at it for nearly four hours, taunting, threatening, and generally chit-chatting with each other in the meantime. (None of what they talked about was super personal; besides, Dante was going to leave her be after she had won. Yes!)

"Come on, Dante..."

"Why? Where are we going, hm?" She rolled her eyes at his flirtatious jab.

Alex grabbed his arm and jerked him onto the dance floor, "I might as well dance with you now. I plan on heading home soon, and they're about to play "Shake."

"You're giving up so early?" he chuckled mischievously.

"Tch, no. I have to dance with you, or Lily will make us foot the bill."

Dante inwardly cringed at the thought of paying for all the alcohol he had drunk, "Good point."

The pair pushed their way to the crowd to where Trish and Lady were currently standing as the last vibrations of the bass and guitars were dying down. Alex watched as Jack disappeared behind the morbid curtains, carrying his bass and reappearing with a stand-up bass. She smirked, now knowing without a doubt what they were playing.

"Are you guys out here because...?" Trish began.

"Yeah," Alex answered unenthusiastically, visage contorted in dread.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Alex shot him a glare that clearly digressed.

"Okay, ladies and gentleman!" Lily began as she grabbed the microphone stand with an exaggerated flourish, "The song we are about to play you is not one of our own. It is "Shake" by The Creepshow. So, you guys, get your psychobilly goggles on!" She stepped backwards a few steps.

Dante slid a little closer to Alex as first ballads were played out by expert fingers, and he boldly looped his fingers into the beltloops of her slacks. He nearly snickered as he felt her stiffen at his nearer and well toned body.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed lowly, utterly detesting his touch.

"Dancing with you."

She turned her dark glower to Dante's very close face, "Yeah, but I didn't agree to you grabbing my hips."

"You know you like it" he purred into her ear, earning an involuntary shiver from Alex as he gripped harder on her hips.

_I love what you love, you love what I lack  
But that was once upon a time  
Hey there pretty boy don't walk away from me  
'Cause you know it just ain't right  
You got me shakin' down to my knees  
And I'll never feel right until you're by my side_

Damn the flirty bastard and his charm, really. Alex wondered if she could just happen to lure him into a dark alleyway and slaughter him.

_**'That wouldn't work out well in my eyes. How much further shall I aim to infuriate you...?'**_ that dark, cursed voice chuckled, the tone sickly-sweet.

Alex nearly yelped in surprise as a tingling sensation crawled down her arms like pairs of fingers sliding down her arms. She felt her arms wrap around the nape of Dante's neck against her will, and they drew Dante's face closer to her shoulders. _'Oh geez, this is not working out at all...'_

She felt him chuckle into her shoulder as he slightly nuzzled the crook in her neck. The detached instinct part of her brain seemed to relax, _'Woo! This actually feels kinda nice...'_ Traitor.

"I knew you would come around..."

His only response was her vexed scoff.

_'Alright, Alex. Moment of truth, here. Kick some ass!'_

"Let go of me so I can dance. I don't do the grab, bump, and grind. I have dignity."

Dante pouted in his mind, "Aww..." He reluctantly let go; they were such nice hips...

Can't shake you baby  
You keep on creepin' up my spine  
Look over my way, you know I gotta make you mine…  
It's just a matter of time!

She tore away from his grip almost instantly and moved a slight distance away. Not far enough to really move from arm's length, but it was enough for her to move away quickly if he attempted any grabbing. Alex rolled her hips in a slight, but experienced belly dance, in an almost-mocking manner. Many men were already waiting eagerly to watch, and Dante stood slightly impressed.

Trish and Lady smirked at the spectacle as they danced a short distance away. Oh, this was progressing more than they could have hoped!

And I know (I know) you got it!  
Every little thing about you baby  
It makes me wanna scream  
x2

I love what you wear you hate when girls cry  
You've got some dangerous eyes well I saw another boy  
Walkin' down the street but I know he just ain't right  
The same thing goes for every boy I see  
Well don't you think it's funny  
When you break it down now do you honey!

Can't shake you baby  
You keep on creepin' up my spine  
Look over my way, you know I gotta make you mine…  
It's just a matter of time!

Alex and Dante were stuck in a sudden stare-down, circling each other like male lions gauging their challengers before striking. They suddenly clashed in an-almost sword battle, and Dante snatched Alex closer to him as they danced with unnatural grace.

And I know (I know) you got it!  
Every little thing about you baby  
It makes me wanna scream  
x2

So where are you at  
My little Hellcat let me take you home  
'Cause you know you've got me shakin' down to the bone yeah!

Alex and Dante smirked secretively to themselves, suddenly enjoying themselves more than they had in a while. The taunting dance became more serious.

Can't shake you baby  
You keep on creepin' up my spine  
Look over my way, you know I gotta make you mine…  
It's just a matter of time!

Dante's hands trailed teasingly down the top of her shoulders to top of her pelvis. She reminded herself to maul him later, as no one touched her with such audacity. (But she had to give it to him, he had guts.)

And I know (I know) you got it!  
Every little thing about you baby  
It makes me wanna scream  
x2

You make me wanna scream!  
You make me wanna scream!  
You make me wanna scream!

The song ended as various pairs of dancers broke of from each other smiling. Alex and Dante separated from their death grips around each other, of which would test who could go longer without squirming in pain, as Lady and Trish strutted up to the two of them looking impeccably like two peacocks.

"Well, did you two enjoy yourselves?" asked Trish slyly, smiling with an innocence that made Alex and Dante fear for their health. Alex happened to glance over to Lady, who had a doppelganger of the same expression written across her face.

_'Lily only gets that expression when she's up to something...'_ Alex shook her herself to clear her head of the slightly drunken muddle that clouded it, "Are you ready to settle this once and for all?"

"You bet!"

Lady and Trish stood incredulously in their places as the pair practically scrambled back to the bar to catch some seats.

"Why do they make it sound like it's a battle to the death?" questioned Lady disbelievingly.

"I guess in a way it is. In the end, someone's dignity is going to die."

Lady shook her head, causing strands of dark, spiky hair to shift as she did so, "You have a point, I guess."

_**Another round of hard-drinking later…**_

No, seriously. Alex thought it would _never_ end. The last time she could see correctly it was three, and she believed that had to be about two hours ago. She turned her head dizzyingly to the blur that was Dante as they leaned heavily on each other's shoulders for support.

"How you holdin' up?" she mumbled, only a ghostly trace of a slur in her voice. She could have fooled any policeman into thinking she was still sober. They would have thought she had been working all night considering the weary expression scrawled across her face.

"Still awake."

The bartender finally gave up his pleading for them to stop long ago; he just kept dishing out the drinks, amazed that these "mere" humans were capable of stomaching so much alcohol. He firmly believed they were the descendants of warriors of some alcohol-rich country. (Well, it was halfway true…)

She reflected vaguely on how many drinks they had sucked down. Forty had turned to fifty, and then it turned to sixty and seventy.

The voice had continued its strange murmurings, but the buzz of the alcohol had thankfully drowned it out long ago. Her shoulder started to tingle along with the dizzy buzz, which made her feel slightly itchy. The huntress sighed as she placed her head on the bar in a bored manner, the half-empty (or full, as Lily looked at it) grasped loosely in her long fingers.

Dante looked down as he noticed the weight leaving his shoulders, his glassy, silvery-blue eyes casting a half-lidded Alex a glance. He watched detachedly as she blinked sluggishly a few times before her eyes finally stayed shut. Alex's breathing slowed to a peaceful pace. The half-devil smirked weakly at her abandoned, half-full glass, and he downed his last round with a swift motion.

**That's right, bitches, he had won the bet. **

His fellow hunters strolled over to their seats, sore from all-night dancing. They watched as the crowed slimmed, but a few stubborn souls were determined to stay for as long as they could afford. Lady and Trish's slender eyebrows rose but not in shock at the sight of Alex and Dante.

"I...am, once again, the top drinker."

Lady stared at him exasperatedly, "Exactly _how _much have you drunk?"

"I lost count at eighty..."

"What?" Trish whispered, her tone lowering dangerously.

"I'm surprised she kept up that long..."

"Do you understand how bad of a hangover you're going to have?" Trish growled as Lady bristled, unable to say anything in her sudden fury.

They really could care less if Dante got a hangover. But Dante wouldn't want to work, and they needed as much money as they could make just to survive the next day.

"Yeah, but it was worth it. I haven't been so entertained in a while..." The pair scowled angrily as they hauled Dante to his feet. Thankfully, he could stand on his own.

The music finally ceased, and the Undead Rampage finally hauled their gear backstage.

A hazed Lily slowly made her way to the five of them.

She looked down tiredly to Alex's snoozing form and her gray gaze slid back up to Dante before she whispered hoarsely, "So, I guess you won? Alex is not going to be happy when I wake her up..."

Dante snickered wearily, "I don't care. She can rant all she wants, but a deal is a deal..."

Lily shook her head and smiled, "Yeah, Alex may not like it, but she won't complain. She'll keep her end of the wager." The younger sister gently ruffled Alex's hair, knowing it would be enough to wake up her light-sleeping sister, "Come on, Alex. Let's go ahead and go home."

Alex rose slowly and grumbled groggily, "What time is it?"

"It's nearly six."

Alex made an incoherent noise and stared down at the glass in her fingers, which was still halfway finished. She glared sullenly at all of Dante's fully-drained glasses. _'Great. I'm finished. I think I might write my will when I get back to my apartment...'_

"Cell phone number, if you will," smugly announced Dante as he shoved a suddenly appearing piece of paper and pen in her direction.

Her head felt like there were a hundred demons ravaging in her brain. "Why?" she muttered as she rubbed her temples to relax her pain.

"How else are we going to make plans?"

Alex's expression morphed into irritation, and she agitatedly wrote down the number on the paper in her messy scrawl. She slid the paper and pen jerkily to Dante, "Here."

He snatched it up almost instantly and shoved it in one of his trench coat pockets, "Alright, guys, we can go now."

He swaggered his way to the door, and the two female hunters cast apologetic looks to Alex.

She nodded sadly to them.

"Geez, you guys are acting like it's your funeral!" mumbled Lily irately.

"It practically is."

"How so?"

"I lost, and now I have to go on a date or whatever. I've been stripped of my pride."

"How have you lost your pride?"

"You just don't get it."

Lily sighed exasperatedly, "Gosh, make me understand!"

"I lost. _To him. _That's how I've been stripped of my pride, and he'll never let me live it down."

Lily just shook her head,

The sisters ambled tiredly to the door with the other band members; Lily grabbed onto Alex's forearm to ensure Alex was capable of walking straight. They made their way to Alex's car, and pairs of band members eventually branched off to their respective places.

Alex handed Lily the keys, "Are you just going to stay with me since you have to drive me home?"

Lily placed her hands on her hips, and she concentrated her weight onto one leg, giving her an attitudey appearance, "Who said I was driving you home?"

"I'm drunk as hell, Lil'. That should be a good enough answer."

Lily's eyes completed a lazy roll, "Whatever, I guess."

Alex gave her a small smile, "Thanks. Maybe I'll make you pancakes..."

Lily's gray eyes fell on Alex hungrily as she smacked her lips slightly, "Ooo...That sounds nice..." She climbed into the driver's seat as Alex plopped sleepily into the seat next to her.

The younger sister ran her hands over the steering wheel in awe; it wasn't everyday Alex let her drive her prized possession.

_**As they finally return to Alex's makeshift home…**_

Alex didn't even remember the drive back or being dragged behind her sister to her apartment. All she knew was where she was right then, dressed in night clothes and in between the cool sheets of that wonderfully fluffy bed. She could feel her sister crawl in beside her and rub her arm comfortingly. It was much like when Lovely would rub her arm after she woke up from nightmares when she was young.

"Night, Alex."

Alex yawned, "G' night..." Her eyes slid shut, and she was instantly asleep.

Lily snickered quietly at her sister as she hunkered lower under the cotton sheets, "Or whatever time of day it is..."

_**There was darkness, and it was everywhere, smothering out the light that flickered weakly. Alex looked around alarmingly at the shadow-like being that fluttered around her, its breathing torn and ragged and smelling distinctly of dead bodies. She observed in horror as it morphed into her mother, her **__**real**__** mother. Jade stared down at Alex as froze where she sat, her angelic face blank and her beautiful cerulean eyes devoid of all things sweet and loving. **_

_**"I never believed you should have existed! You are unnatural, a freak, a hideous creature that is damned to burn in the flames of hell. All the people that you 'love' will begin to hate you, and they will eventually destroy you. And I will ravish that day, for I have despised you ever since you were conceived. You were not created by any loving means; you are a product of twisted hate and lust. No one will ever love you, for you mean nothing!" she hissed hatefully as she back-handed Alex hard across her cheek. **_

_**She collided roughly with the dark floor several feet away. "Then why didn't you just kill me? Why not relieve me then of my wretched existence?" she growled as much more evil thoughts of destruction and desolance creeped into her head. She had the violent urge to rip the woman in front of her limp from limp and gorge spitefully on her bloody remains. **_

_**"Because," Jade began as she grabbed Alex by her hair and roughly pulled her to her knees, "I had to swear to that foolish old master of mine that I would not destroy you." "But," she continued as she yanked Alex to her feet, "That did not mean I couldn't reject you...I just handed you off to my simple-minded maid." **_

_**"Don't you dare insult her like that!" Alex fired as the devilish energy boiled over in her blood. The markings on her shoulder flooded across the rest of her body, tainting the tan coloring of her skin with a sickly dark gray. She grabbed her mother's wrist brutally, revealing long black claws. Her eyes flickered an evil orange, and they glittered viciously. **_

_**Her mother cried out in pain, and a sick grin twisted across Alex's face. "You're practically begging for me to tear you into ribbons," she mocked smoothly. **_

_**"Enough!" boomed a voice from the shadows, and Alex grimaced at the familiarity. The same man from her other dream stepped fluidly from the darkness and Jade stared at him blankly, eyes unnaturally wide as her figure melted into something the consistency of muddy dust. He held up a strange amulet, "Return to me, my puppet." **_

_**The sand abruptly formed into a cloud and slid back into his amulet with a sinister hiss.**_

_**Alex instantly transformed back as she stumbled backward from his advancing figure. **_

_**"What the hell do you want from me?" **_

_**His smile was enough to send shivers down her spine and promise her evil intentions, "Why, it's you." **_

_**Her back hit an unsuspected wall, "Why do you want me?" she whispered, almost fearfully. **_

_**He was mere feet away from her now, and she was incapable of movement. **_

_**"I need someone who will bend to my will, so that we may destroy my adversaries. I need someone who can kill without hesitation and help me gain power of the human realm for my sealed lord. And I need an apprentice that will help me destroy the only one who stands a chance of defeating me...And that is you." **_

_**"What if I refuse?" **_

_**"You cannot refuse me. My power and influence runs strongly in your veins. You are of my flesh and blood, born with the power of your mother's detestment." **_

_**"No, you bastard, you're lying!" she shouted as a few hot, angry tears spilled onto her cheeks. **_

_**He grabbed her chin gently in his fingers, "You may defy me now, but you will come to me in the end. But I will be patient, for now I will leave you to turmoil in your pain and inescapable craving for raw ability." **_

_**She aimed a side-punch to his face, but he seemed to diffuse his being until her punch just flew through smoke. "Go to hell!" **_

_**He was suddenly beginning to disappear, his body growing fainter until his cruel, disembodied black eyes and evil smirk were all that remained. **_

_**"We will be there soon enough..." **_

_**She lunged for what was left of him, thinking of nothing but destroying him. **_

Alex crashed heavily with the hardwood floor below her bed.

Lily shot up alarmingly as soon as she was awakened by the loud crash.

"Alex, are you okay?" she squeaked in fright.

"No," she whimpered simply, feeling ripped up by what her mother and newly discovered father had spoken of. Her shoulder throbbed wildly with the flutter of her heart.

Lily instantly yanked herself from the sheets and scrambled off of the large bed and onto the floor where her sister was sprawled. She laid down beside her sister, and she gently pushed Alex's messy hair from her eyes. The younger sister nearly recoiled in shock; Alex had been crying. Alex almost never cried. She instantly guessed that Alex had an absolutely horrible nightmare, "What happened?"

"I saw Mother...And my real father," she whispered with her eyes closed, obviously mortified.

Lily froze, "What do you mean?" She knew how much Alex resented their mother.

"Well, Mother told me crap that I didn't already know," she scoffed weakly, "Didn't make it any less painful, though."

"And your dad?"

"I know who I look like now."

Lily rubbed Alex's cheeks gently, at loss for what to say.

"He wants to turn me into a puppet, so he can use me to open up the portal to the demon plane."

She did not care to divulge what all her mother had said and about her demonic transformation. Alex hadn't even told her about the strange attack or her shoulder; she didn't wish to worry her sister anymore than she needed to.

"I'm so sorry, Alex," she mumbled hoarsely, "I can't imagine how difficult that is to swallow."

They sat several long moments in each other's arms. It was times like that Alex appreciated and remembered the most.

Alex smiled faintly at her sister after a while, "Eh, I think I'll be alright." She jerked herself off of the floor and helped Lily to her feet. "You want those pancakes now?"

Lily's eyes glittered in excitement, "You bet!" She dashed fervently to her kitchen. _'Please be okay, Alex…' _

Alex allowed herself an indulgent smile; leave it to her sister to make her feel better.

"Weehee! Do you like waffles?" Lily called from the hallway.

Alex began walking towards the kitchen, 'Yeah, we like waffles."

"Do you like pancakes?"

"Yeah, we like pancakes."

"Do you like French toast?"

"Yeah, we like French toast."

A couple of footfalls later, they sung together, "Do dododo, can't wait to get a mouthful…waffles!"

A few more, "Waffles!"

And some more, "Waffles!"

And they made it into the kitchen, "Do dododo, can't wait to get a mouthful…waffles!"

Lily giggled, "The theme song of breakfast lovers everywhere!"

Alex bobbed her head in agreement, "Oh, yes."

When she had pulled out all of her ingredients, Alex turned on the radio in her kitchen, and "Don't Stop the Music" was currently playing.

Lily grabbed a spoon and posed wildly, "Oh, this is my song! Turn it up!"

Alex shook her head in amusement as Lily wiggled around the room, brandishing her spoon dramatically as she sung to Rihanna.

"It's getting late….I'm making my way over to my favorite place…I gotta get my body moving, shake the stress away…" She jigged childishly to the beat.

She flung her arm in Alex's direction, "I wasn't looking for nobody when you looked my way; possible candidate, yeah!" Lily winked playfully, and Alex rolled her eyes as she poured batter into a pan.

"Who knew…that'd you be up in here looking like you do! You're making staying over here impossible," she wiggled over to Alex some more, "Baby, I must say your aura is incredible…if you don't have to go, don't!" She unexpectedly grabbed Alex's midsection and used her body weight to twirl her around.

"Do you know what you started? I just came here to party, but now we're rocking on the dance floor, actin' naughty…your hands around my waist…just let the music play! We're hand in hand, chest to chest, and now we're face to face!" Lily and Alex lightheartedly danced across the kitchen floor in a playful manner.

They twirled in circles for the remainder of the song and enjoyed each other's company. The homey smell of pancakes wafted through the air, and Alex strode over to the pan with a plate to pick them up.

The pair plopped down at the table. Alex and Lily stared intensely at each other for a few moments before the scrabbled for the syrup, of which Alex was the victor of. She smirked gleefully as she drowned her poor, unfortunate pancakes with a flood of sweet syrup.

Lily wrinkled her nose, "I don't see how you do that!"

Alex shrugged, "I like lots of syrup."

"I like to be able to taste the pancakes, not just the syrup."

As soon as she said this, Alex phone vibed frantically on the table, and Lily grabbed for it first.

She stuck her tongue out victoriously and one of her eyes closed, giving her an obnoxious look as she answered the cell phone, "Hello?"

Alex heard a light mumble of words; the caller was asking for her, though she didn't know whom.

"Oh, hi, _Dante_!" Lily's face contorted into an evil grin as she emphasized the name of the much-feared caller.

Alex seemed to shrink in her seat, "Oh, fuck," she muttered. _'Suicide still sounds really great right now…'_ A few more sentences were exchanged.

"Yes, you may speak to her!" Lily shoved the phone to Alex, "You have someone that wants to speak to youuuuuu!"

Alex hesitantly pressed the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" she mumbled uninterestedly.

"Geez, babe, you sound real enthused to hear from me," declared Dante sarcastically.

"I always thought there was a 'wait-a-day-before-you-call' policy," she deadpanned. She heard a smooth snicker on the other line.

"Do you like pizza?"

"I don't really like dine-in pizza, if that's what you're asking. I like making my own pizza if I had a choice."

Dante heard a faint, 'Yeah, Alex makes good pizza!' from Lily. "So, you make good pizza, huh?"

"I guess. I don't usually get a slice; Lily and her buddies hog it."

He heard a, 'hey!' Dante chuckled lightly, "Alright, how 'bout we have it at your place, then?"

"Tch, hell no."

"Why not?" he asked, smirking as he did so.

"I don't want you in my apartment. There's not much to keep you from trying any funny business, now is there? We both know you could overpower me if you tried hard enough."

"I'm hurt, babe!" he mocked, "You don't give me enough credit."

" You seem like the advantage-taking type," she retorted coolly.

"Shit happens, chick. When opportunity knocks, I'm answering."

_'Control, Alex, control. People get killed for losing their cool…Find your center…calm, I am calm…' _

"Fine, I shall trust your 'nobility'. And I also have a name, **Dante**."

He sniggered softly, "Okay, **Alex**, do you have an address?"

She sighed, "I live in Slate Apartments on Morose Street. Apartment number 13."

The street's name use to fit it very well; it was infamous for the unusually high murder rate and the abnormal way in which the killing was done. When she began renting one of the apartments, she happened to be walking along when she discovered the problem; there was a clan of marrow-sucking devils hiding nearby. To put it nicely, she dealt with the problem. Business had begun picking up in the area since then.

"Wow, you live on a famous street. And in a very unlucky apartment number, no less. Kudos."

"Okay, sure. I got to go…my food is getting cold."

She hung up on him without another word. Alex shoved a few pieces of lukewarm pancakes in her mouth as Lily huffed irritably. "What?" she asked exasperatedly through a mouthful of pancakes.

"My God, he's _hot_, and he seems to take some sort of interest in you! Why act so damn difficult?"

"He annoys me. End of story."

"Give him a chance, will ya?"

"Uh, have any other guys given me anything other than a backwards glance?"

"Oh, much more than that! You're just too oblivious to it, and when you do notice, you scare them off with your I'll-kick-your-ass-if-you-even-try glare."

"They do?"

"Yes!"

"I do that, too?"

"…_duh_."

"Well, most guys just want ass anyway."

"That's true, but what about guys that actually want to treat you with respect?"

"...Uh, my bad. Sorry that I wasn't feeling that well."

Lily groaned aggravatedly, _'God, my sister is so callous sometimes!'_ "Have you ever had sex?"

Alex stared at Lily suspiciously, not wanting something along the lines of, 'geez, you need to get laid!' "No…why?"

"Good, 'cuz if you keep this up, you need to give yourself to a nunnery."

Alex stuck her tongue out contemptibly at her younger sister and mumbled bitterly, "You know I couldn't do that. I'd burst in flames as soon as I took one step inside. It's supposed to be pure and holy, which I am not."

Lily just shook her head in exhaustion; sister dearest…could be difficult. It was just about time she loosened up. Despicable thoughts rushed through her head, and Dante just happened to be a plot device…She smirked wickedly to herself... Then, she noticed something else.

"You know you two didn't arrange a time or date?"

Alex shrugged off the comment sluggishly, "Eh, if it matters that much to him, he'll call back."

Lily's faced smashed roughly into the table as she growled irritably, "You're a mess!"

Alex grinned smugly, "I'm the kind of human wreckage that you love!"

...

Thanks for reading! Now review. You know you want to... -cackles-

* * *


	6. Discoveries

**Disclaimer: **Ha, you don't get one!!

**Chapter Rating: **Teen. There is still a good amount of dirty words. I know, how terrible of me.

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews for those who sent them to me! (And those that added or favorited my story as well!) You people ROCK!!

I has a magical box. It's better than yours.

The names for these characters are all Irish, and they can be found at www. behind the name. com (of course take out the spaces...) So, if you need some names, check this site out! It can be very helpful.

* * *

_**Name Key: **_

**Cillian- **War, strife

**Ciaran-** Black

**Lonan- **Little Blackbird

**Daithi- **Swift

* * *

_**In the eyes of Dragomir…**_

_'Something's wrong...Terribly wrong... But what is it?' _ His vigor may have been worn with his age, but his Sense was much stronger than it was in his prime.

_'Alexandra,' _it whispered. But what had happened to her? The last time he had seen her, which was probably no more than two months ago, she was in top condition and happy.

_'Cillian.' _He froze as the name appeared in his mind's eye, but uncertainly dismissed it as paranoia. Dragomir had killed Cillian nearly twenty-four years ago in vengeance of Jade's emotional destruction; he gave Cillian's sword, Daithi, to his rightful heir, Alexandra.

_'The dream.' _Of course! The dream. Alexandra told him about her premonition, in which a man that resembled her came out of a mirror. She did look remarkably like the evil demon. But in what manner could he reappear?

_'Ciaran, Lonan.' _He couldn't forget about Cillian's monster son and his faithful servant. Both Ciaran and Lonan possessed Cillian's sorcery powers, Lonan more so than Ciaran. Ciaran simply lived for destruction.

Dragomir felt his old bones creak and shiver; incredibly powerful, and very familiar, auras burst into his protective radius, popping it like a needle would a balloon. He quickly uprooted himself from his meditating position and hurried into the makeshift training arena outside. They were coming closer, and with each step that the intruders took, Dragomir got colder.

He was positively **freezing **now. Nevertheless, the old man stood straight and tall, and called calmly to the enemies, "Show yourselves. It's not difficult to know you're there."

A dark, mocking chuckle rumbled from above him in the ancient trees, "You haven't changed, _old man_."

A young man with unruly raven hair and cruel scarlet eyes emerged from the foliage. He grinned maniacally as he brandished a long, thin silver chain in his mechanical claw tips, "Your magic tricks didn't hold me quite like you hoped…"

"And I don't believe you have changed either, Ciaran." Dragomir's storm-blue gaze lowered to the metal collar that hung loosely on Ciaran's slender neck.

After he had killed Cillian, he bound Ciaran and condemned him to Hell. Yes, it appeared that his binding incantation had not worked. But Dragomir had not really expected it to; by the time he killed Cillian and sealed Ciaran away, he was well into his fifties and far out of his prime.

"Hey, Lonan, why don't you come out and greet the old fart?" Ciaran teased at a shape that had hidden itself not too far away from his current location.

_'Humph. And he calls me old.'_

A young boy apparated a short distance from Ciaran. He inclined his head gently, which caused silver tendrils to brush across his face. "It is nice to know you are in good health, Dragomir," he murmered as his deep violet eyes met Dragomir's.

His appearance deceived many. Lonan was more than two-thousand years old, as well as Ciaran.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to be all sickly...We just got the party favors in line!" sneered Ciaran. The gleam in his eyes promised everything but the innocence of a mere party.

Dragomir's eyes narrowed, "Party favors?"

Ciaran scoffed, "Tch, like you don't know what I'm talking about!"

Dragomir only stood silently in his place, his mind racing with the possibilities. One name finally stood out among all of those thoughts. "Alexandra."

"Of course! My dearest sister. We've got Father one **hell **of a welcoming party planned!"

Dragomir wondered wildly about what was flashing through Ciaran's and Lonan's conniving thoughts. Something clicked in his head as he raced to figure out what was wrong.

_'Ashes.' _ He had banished Cillian's ashes to the lowest layer of Hell.

"His ashes ain't there anymore, old man," answered Ciaran like he saw what was caught in Dragomir's worries.

"Where are they then, Ciaran?"

He smirked, "Oh, they're somewhere. But don't worry yourself over it too much, old man, or you'll die from the stress!"

"What are you planning on doing with his ashes?"

"I'm just going to indulge myself in your wretchedness as you wander aimlessly in the dark for the answer."

"Hm, I don't believe you should be calling me pitiful. Was it not I that sent you to your prison?"

Ciaran's scarlet gaze smoldered spitefully, "You better shut up... I would have murdered you if it wasn't for the fact that I had already been weakened by your stupid magic tricks."

Dragomir only chuckled quietly while Lonan watched the exchange in his polite, silent manner.

After a few minutes of deadly silence, Dragomir spoke once again, "Then what does my pupil have to do with it?"

The young-looking male perked back up at his question. He shrugged lazily, "Eh, this and that. I just want to play with her..." Ciaran turned toward his father's servant, "Hey, Lonan, do you still have that devil charm?"

The boy contracted a strange amulet from his long sleeves, "Thankfully, yes."

"Give it to me," he commanded as he thrust out his toned arm.

Lonan boredly tossed the necklace into Ciaran's outstretched claws, where he snatched up the delicate jewel greedily. Its slender black chain draped itself in between his fingers. He dramatically allowed the ornament to slide through his fingers until it hung precariously from his metal appendages.

"Give this to Alexandra," he proclaimed with a flourish of his clawed arms, "As a token of our affection and great esteem!" He bowed mockingly, "And I _hope _to be lucky enough to meet her!"

He chunked the amulet to Dragomir. "I know you're telling yourself you won't give it to her. But if you don't, she won't be able to control herself!" Ciaran informed cheerily.

Lonan whispered, "Farewell for now, dear Dragomir. Our next meeting will be sooner than you think."

The evil pair entirely disappeared in an intricate plume of dark smoke and ash.

Dragomir felt a chill lick up his spine. He was suddenly weak, as if the very energy had been sucked out of his body. _'But that's just what they do: destroy everything they pass.' _

He stared at the amulet grasped in his age-ridden fingers. It glowed with an unearthly light, the emerald gem humming with energy.

_'Oh, most unfortunate child, what mess have you unknowingly stumbled into?'_

_'I have to get to her,' _he silently promised himself after he examined the gem more thoroughly. He strode quickly into his bungalow and searched for his hidden stash of emergency money.

The old man found a large handful of coins and pocketed them. After doing so, he exited his small home and trudged over five miles of rocky and half-paved roads to reach the nearest bus stop.

A bus finally came to his rescue several moments after he sat on the bench to take a break. _'Hoo, it's saddening to say I'm not as young as I use to be.' _

The driver slowed to a loud, screeching halt in front of him and about two other people. He boarded the bus and paid his fare.

Dragomir had forgotten to change out of his more traditional training clothes to something more modern, and this small oversight earned many odd stares from the driver and other passengers. Yes, he knew it was careless mistake on his part.

He finally reached the inner city limits, and he got off the bus to go to a coffee shop with a payphone. The people here didn't give his clothes even a second glance, since they were so used to those that wore Gothic Lolita and cosplayers. (They usually had some convention running at the civic center.)

Dragomir entered a small cafe and ordered himself a large coffee. If it was one mundane thing he could not bring himself to quit, it was coffee. The bitter taste of it somehow appealed to him. He took a single seat near the window and watched cars drift by.

Thankfully, he didn't really have to wait for his coffee to cool down. Years of conditioning had allowed him to suck down his delightful treat like it was lemonade on a hot day. The corners of his mouth slid up slightly in satisfaction; the warm liquid in his belly calmed down his slightly frayed nerves. _'Speaking of which, I need to get back to what's important.' _

He casually ambled to the payphone near the restrooms and deposited a few coins into the slot. Dragomir dialed Alex's cell phone number, hoping he punched the right numbers and that she would pick up.

The older male heard Alex's low, bored murmur, "Iron Maiden. This is Alex."

He smiled vaguely, "Hello, dear child."

"Drago-sensei?" she questioned in surprise, "You actually **know** how to use a payphone?"

He sighed to himself, "Yes, dearest. Even though I choose to not have these devices, it doesn't mean that I do not know how to use them."

"Sorry," she apologized, "It's just not like you..." Alexandra paused for a moment, "Since we _are _talking about unusual things, what horror do you have to inform me of?"

"I need you to meet me."

"...Is that it? Why didn't you just send me a letter like always?"

"It's urgent..."

"Um, alright. Where do you need me to meet you?"

"Do you remember our secret spot?"

Alex smiled to herself. How could she forget that quiet, secluded little hill? The two of them usually went there to discuss things after a hard day of training when she was younger. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't visited it quite a while...

"Alright, when?"

"Could you possibly try to get over here this moment?"

"Uh...I'm kinda on a job right now…" she began as she looked at the pile of devils she had just ruthlessly slaughtered. Hey, it was more money in her pockets, and she _really _wanted those volumes of Angel Sanctuary she hadn't had the chance to buy….

"Oh, so I presume it is no, then?"

"It's alright; I'll come. I just need to finish this mission up here…" Damn, where one of those demons twitching…?

Dragomir chuckled softly, "Alright, I shall see you. Goodbye, dearest."

"Bye." She hung up only when she heard the other line go dead.

Alex heard a fierce growling erupt from behind her back, and she turned quickly on her boot heels to stare at another large gang of demons.

And they were bigger than the last kind of demons. **Gargantuan**.

With many rows of _really _sharp fangs. And pointy, deadly looking claws.

_Boy, _they looked like they were starving…

A low hiss slid from the air behind her back once again.

She glanced back at the horde she _thought _she just killed.

Fuck. This was going to be difficult….

_**Many painful scratches and bite marks later…**_

If Alex had to describe that last mission to someone, she would have utilized every curse word in the English language that came to mind. Alex planned on asking her employer to pay her double for that. At least she healed quickly, or she would have never made it to the Secret Spot.

As always, Dragomir had arrived to the Secret Spot before her.

He was seated on the large stone they always sat on as they overlooked the small valley below. Her sensei smiled serenely at her, and he gently motioned for her to sit by him.

They sat in peaceful silence for a few moments until Dragomir spoke.

"Alexandra, do you know why I asked you here?"

She turned her head lazily to gaze at her teacher; her interest peaked at the use of her name. Alex usually wasn't particularly fond of people using her entire given name, but she surprisingly liked how stately and proud it sounded as it rolled of her teacher's tongue.

"I'm not entirely sure…"

A weary sigh, "Has that man appeared in your dreams anymore?"

She scoffed, and she whispered furiously, "You mean _my father_? Every night for the past month. It's the same thing over and over."

Alex stared sorrowfully at him, and he noticed the faint outline of circles under her eyes.

His storm-gray gaze scrutinized her carefully, "What did he do to you?"

She hesitated slightly as she reluctantly gathered the dream from her subconscious, "It always starts with my mother…She always tells me how much she hates me, and how she wishes I wasn't ever born…How I'm a monster, and that the people that I love will kill me in the end."

Jade. This wasn't good at all…

She stopped entirely, expression etched in horror, "I got really angry, and I transformed."

_'Devil Trigger. This has escalated much more than I anticipated…' _

"Let me see them."

"…What?"

"The markings. They are customary in your father's bloodline."

Her eyes narrowed, but silently pulled up her sleeve up to reveal the scorch marks, which seemed to flare that strange shade of violet mockingly as Dragomir deftly traced them.

A dark, musical voice seared through Alex's conscious as it chuckled deeply, _**'Too late, Dragomir.' **_Alex winced painfully, shoulder throbbing as it resided.

"How did you get these?"

"I was out on a mission about a month ago when a kid with silver hair came out of nowhere a shoved something on my shoulder. Something weird happened, and I passed out."

_'The orb that grants her clan devil trigger. So, she met the conditions. They really know how to make a fool out of me…' _

His eyes narrowed in concentration, "What does your father want with you?"

A dark glower erupted across Alex's features, "He claims I'm going to help him reopen the demon plane, and I'm going to kill the only one that stands that chance."

Dragomir almost automatically finished that last thought, "A son of Sparda."

Her eyes were entirely blank as she nodded in agreement with what he answered with, but her sensei had caught the twinge of irritation that flashed momentarily across her face.

He cracked into an impish grin, "Do you know which one, my dear student?"

Alex glared at him sullenly, slumping with a forlorn that reminded Dragomir of a soaked cat, and she mumbled, "Dante… How do you know…?-"

"That you know him? Let's just say I have friends that have friends that have friends…Besides, I keep a watchful eye in you, my dear." He winked mischievously at her as he tapped his temple, referring to his sixth sense.

She snorted, "How nice…"

He wrapped a fatherly arm around her, deciding to tease her some more, "He seems to take an interest in you."

She groaned loudly as she weakly glared at the increasingly cloudy sky, "Why is everyone saying that?! The only interest he takes in me is pushing my buttons, which he's actually very good at."

Her teacher chuckled, "You have to admit; you're easily irritated."

She sighed dejectedly, "Yeah, I know…"

Her sensei's expression once again became serious, "Alexandra, I need you to promise me something."

She regarded him warily, sensing that what he was going to ask she wasn't going to like, "It depends on what it is."

"I want you to befriend Dante Sparda."

She stared at her sensei blankly for several silent moments, "This is the guy that loves to annoy me we're talking about here…"

Her sensei rolled his eyes, "I had the honor of meeting him several years ago. I know he's a little cocky, but he's a good man. He would make a powerful ally."

"I don't doubt the good guy and powerful ally parts, but it's the cocky and flirtatious aspects I'm not really willing to deal with."

Her teacher gazed at her sternly, the gleam in eyes his allowing no argument.

"But, but-!" she whined.

"Promise me, Alexandra, or I will hold you hostage here until you agree."

She crossed her arms sulkily, _'Promise? Be held against my will? Promise…? Be held against my will…? Crap, that's difficult…Ah, screw it!' _

"Fine," she mumbled, "I'll _try." _

His lined face scrunched into a large smile and answered readily, "Just as long as you try!"

They sat in silence again as Alex contemplated what fate she had just doomed herself to when a thought rammed itself into the side of her head.

"Sensei, why does my father hate Sparda so much?" Her nose wrinkled with dislike; she absolutely hated the way "father" left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

"Well, of course you know that Sparda sealed Mundus and the demon plane away. Your father, whose name is Cillian by the way, happened to be one of his most powerful advisors and generals, and he was surprisingly very loyal to him. At the great battle that sealed the plane, Sparda found a weakness in the undead warriors that Cillian had created, and he destroyed large numbers of them before he defeated Mundus and sealed the plane away."

She nodded silently, impressed.

Her teacher shook his head, "If that wasn't enough, Sparda killed all the members of your bloodline that fought, save Cillian and his son. The boy was stupid enough to attempt to kill Sparda, and the Dark Knight sliced off the boy's hands."

_'Son. My father has another child.' _She stared at her sensei, slight alarm in her countenance, "I have half-brother?"

Dragomir grimaced at the thought of him, "Yes. And his name is Ciaran." He deliberated not actually telling her about him, but he decided it would be better if he told her now before something terrible happened…

A slender hand covered her mouth is slight shock as she shifted positions on the rock, from casual to contemplative.

The sounds of the forest around them became louder when their talking died down again, and Dragomir spied the odachi propped against Alex's leg.

"Have you named your weapon yet?"

She glanced at the old sword beside her, "No."

It irked her that she wasn't able to bestow some special name on her sword. Names were the ultimate form of affection when it came to weapons.

"That's good."

She looked at him questioningly.

"It already has one: Daithi."

_'Hm…It has a nice ring to it…' _

"What does it mean?"

"Swift."

She nodded in agreement. Yeah, the odachi was definitely that.

"Daithi's actually a demon that Cillian sealed in the form of this sword. If I am not mistaken, there are three forms of this odachi: the sealed form, the devil trigger form, and the final form, which is actually Daithi released."

"And exactly how do you know _all_ of this?"

He gave her this 'dude, seriously' look, "Dearest…I am old; I have seen and experienced much. Knowing more than you're supposed to is nothing new to me."

She shook her head in slight amusement and slowly rose to her full height, "I think I'll go ahead and go back now."

Her sensei followed suit, and Dragomir placed his hands on her shoulders, "If you need me, Alexandra, I will try my best to be there."

She smiled faintly, "Thanks, sensei. It means a lot."

He suddenly remembered the amulet in his pocket, "Oh, before you go…"

The old man carefully slid the charm from inside a small pocket in his trousers, and he grasped it loosely as he extended his arm to show his pupil.

Alex gazed curiously at it, "What is this?"

"We'll just call it a little extra assistance."

Alex caught his meaning rather quickly, and she slowly reached for the emerald jewel clutched in her teacher's aged hands.

It's periodic dimming and brightening synced with her heartbeat as it came into her possession, and she hesitantly hung the thin black chain around her neck.

At once, an amazing sensation drifted through her body: at the core, she felt slightly chilly, but a gentle warmness melted away the boiling feeling in her blood, and her skin didn't feel quite so taut and crawly.

"Well, do you feel any different?"

"I don't feel like I'm going to explode into huge, bloody mess if that's what you mean."

A low chuckle, "That's different enough."

She snatched up her two trusty nine millimeters, placed them into their respective holsters, and replaced her odachi, now known to her as Daithi, to its position on her back.

"Now, Alexandra, I enjoy your company very much," her teacher began mirthfully, "So, please visit me soon!"

Alex laughed quietly, "I'll try."

Dragomir watched as Alex began the long stroll back to her car. A visit to Dante may be in order.

_**Back at her apartment…**_

How interesting. Lily was sitting on her couch when she finally returned. It didn't surprise her that much, considering Lily also had a key to her apartment and that she had a habit of dropping in unannounced.

Lily was currently concentrated on a game of Kingdom Hearts 2. It didn't look like she had gotten super far; Lily never had the knack for video games like Alex did.

Her sister was hunched over the controller while a furious expression warped her pretty face. It appeared Roxas (the emo kid with a chicken's butt for hair as they called him) was getting his ass kicked, or moreover, Lily was getting her ass kicked.

A strangled groan left Lily's throat, "Damn it, Alex, beat this for me!"

Alex smirked, confidently snatched the controller from her sister, and pushed a few buttons. The small group of heartless fell easily.

Lily huffed and crossed her arms, "How come you make it look so easy?"

"Because it is." Alex kept playing until she reached the boss, "Do you want to beat it?"

Lily pinned a miffed glare on Alex, "No, you go ahead. Your playing has already poisoned _my_ save."

Alex rolled her eyes and continued to beat the boss...

_**OHMYGODCAPSLOCKISAWESOME!!**_

And after about three more hours of playing, Alex had beaten three more worlds and was going on the Gummi ship into her fourth. Lily sulked for the first little while, but then she decided to cheer Alex on.

"Woah, ow. Go Alex! Kick some heartless ass-!" she roared in earnest, fist pumped into the air. She stopped her cheering when she realized it was the pause screen. "What are you pausing it for?"

"Your cell phone is ringing," she said simply.

Lily quickly scrambled to Alex's bedroom, hoping to reach the cell phone before it stopped ringing. The lyrics for "This is Halloween" were playing, and Lily guessed it was Jack.

She snatched it up and yanked it open, "Hello?" she gasped.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jack's low, smooth tone asked.

"Yeah, Alex heard the cell phone before I did, so I had to run to get your call. What's up?"

"Well, Hayden and I just picked up the payment for our last gig. He wants to go out and celebrate. I called Lance and Sid, and they're all for it. What about you?"

"Um, sure. What are you guys up for?"

"Hayden, Lance, and Sid all want Chinese. I don't really have a preference."

"That's fine. But it may take me a while for me to make it; I'm at Alex's right now."

"Oh, okay. See you around five, then?"

"Yeah. Bye!"

"Bye." Jack and Lily hung up at the same time.

_'Well, I guess I'll have to tell Alex now.' _

She walked back into the living room, where Alex had already resumed playing. Lily sighed; why couldn't her sister ever wait for her?

"Hey, who was that?"

"It was Jack. We're all going to go for Chinese."

"Sounds fun. Eat my fill of Chinese for me, will you?"

Lily laughed lightly, "Yeah, sure."

Now it was Alex's cell phone's turn to go off in her pocket. She jumped slightly and quickly pressed the start button to pause her game; she didn't want another death incident.

Alex pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open, "Iron Maiden. Alex here."

"Hi, babe, how's it going?" Dante teased.

_'Damn it, Dragomir, why did you have to curse me??' _

Lily could tell who it was instantly by the way Alex's body slumped. Her face may have been blank like paper, but her body language spoke volumes.

"It was all just fine until you called," she mumbled flatly.

"Touchy. Just calling you to ask if you minded if I came over."

"Why?"

"I'm hungry and there's nothing to do over here. I might as well enjoy myself."

Alex's fingers twitched. _'You promised to try to be nice to him, Alex, ' _the nice part of her brain reasoned.

She sighed wearily, "Fine, It'll take you a while to get here, anyway."

Dante scoffed in displeasure, "What's that supposed to mean, babe?"

"I have nothing for food. And stop calling me that. Do you have a preference?"

"Alright, _Alex. _Pizza's just great."

Alex mumbled, "Whatever," and hung up.

"Well?" quizzed Lily.

"I'm taking a bus to the beach and never coming back."

Lily glared pointedly at her as she grabbed Alex's sword from its prop on her couch. She slowly raised it to Alex's nose, her arm wobbling from the weight on the way, "Nuh uh, sister dear, you're going to get yourself a man! If it's the _last thing I do, _I am going to make you get a boyfriend!"

Alex laughed wildly and crossed her arms in amusement, "Honey, you don't even have a boyfriend. What makes you think you can force me to have one?"

Momentary silence. "...I-I'm working on it!! I'm just too fickle… that's all!" Lily stuttered, and she crossed her arms as she paused. "And it doesn't help that you run them off," she added sulkily. (Truth was she crushed on Jack, too. They were so funny.)

Alex raised her arms in defense, "I'm just watching out for you. Your taste sucks."

"It's more than you can say!" Lily fired back, "You don't even date!"

"Because there is no man that has yet met my ridiculously high standards," she shot back smugly.

"Yeah, and if you don't lower those standards, it's gunna stay that way."

"Lily, men aren't all there is to life. Most of them are only good for eating your food, destroying your life, and making babies," Alex lectured, hands flailing dramatically to emphasize her point.

Lily shook her head in exasperation," Well, at least they make it more interesting."

Alex shrugged, "Eh, my own entertainment is enough to keep me amused."

Lily wrinkled her nose, "Ew, Alex, I didn't know you were like that!"

Alex shot her a deadened look.

Lily giggled slightly, "I'm just kidding!"

Alex made a move to resume Kingdom Hearts again, but Lily thwacked the side of her arm.

"Woah, missy, hold on! I have two t-shirts in mind, but I want your opinion," Lily proclaimed as she began walking to Alex's bedroom.

Alex sighed, slowly placed the controller on her worn couch, and paced after her sister. "Why do I need to help you choose a shirt?"

"I can't decide which one of my new ones I want to wear," she answered as Alex walked into the room.

Lily held up two shirts, "Alright, Gunslinger…" she held up the Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt, "Or Death Note?" She then proceeded to raise a black t-shirt with L and Light on it.

Alex poked her cheek thoughtfully, "Avenged Sevenfold 'cause I don't like Light."

Lily flopped in exasperation, "But Light isn't the only one on it!"

"Well, you should have bought the one with just L on it; then I would have liked it."

Lily rolled her eyes, but she pulled off her plain purple tank top and slipped into the Gunslinger shirt. She then grabbed her skinny jeans and turned to stare at Alex intently.

Alex stared back, feeling utterly probed under her sister's intense gaze. "What are doing?"

"You're not wearing that shirt."

She looked down questioningly at her very floppy gray t-shirt, "What's wrong with it?"

"You have a date; you should look _sexy_," Lily pointed out, hands tracing curves in mid-air.

Silence swept over the area for a few drawn out seconds as Alex stared skeptically at Lily. "And your point being…?"

Lily groaned vexedly, "Damn it, just come here!" She opened up one of Alex's shirt drawers and delved inside as she tossed around a few shirts.

Alex heard her sister whoop in triumph as she discovered the top she wanted.

"AHA!! This is what you could wear!" Lily shoved something in her face.

After she had fished out the material that had somehow tangled itself in her hair, she stared at the Gir tank top grasped in her hands. She responded, "I can't wear this. It shrunk when I washed it."

"So? It'll show off those lithe muscles of yours."

"But I'll look like a slut."

"Not slutty, _sexy_," Lily emphasized suggestively.

Alex merely rolled her eyes and began to walk to the door of her bedroom.

"Where are you going? You're not going to show me?"

"No, you pervert, I am going to change in the bathroom," she sniffed snobbily. The truth was, if she took her shirt off and put on the tank top, the markings would be exposed. And that would lead to a lot of uncomfortable and painful questions...

Lily stuck her tongue out childishly, "Fine. Be that way! Don't flaunt your body! Get old and wrinkly...and ugly!"

She shook her head at her sister's silliness as she quickly trekked to her bathroom. _'If it takes my last breath, Lily is __**not**__ going to know about __**any **__of this.' _

Alex grabbed a hoodie off of her coat rack, flew into the bathroom, and locked the door behind her. The huntress breathed deeply as she turned to glare at her reflection in the mirror silently as her father's face surfaced in her mind.

It was her face as well.

"You aren't going to win," she told it, "I'll get someone to kill me before that happens."

_**'I beg to differ...' **_

She glared at her reflection harder, "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

_**'...Because you belong to **__**me**__**, dear daughter.' **_

She scoffed at the sting his words, "I'll just find someone else I can belong to."

It chuckled, _**'We'll see...' **_

A loud banging exploded from the door and a muffled voice called, "Hey, Alex, are you done? I wanna see!"

_'Oh, fuck!' _She hastily yanked off the gray t-shirt and forced the tank top over her head and large chest. She growled when it only came to rest about an inch above her navel, and her jeans were already barely clinging to the bottom of her hips. Thankfully, she had brought the hoodie with her...

"Are you okay in there?" _Click click click. _"Aw, Alex, you're locking your own sister out? It's just a shirt, geez!"

"Damn it..." she mumbled. "Hold on, Lily, I'm almost done!"

She slipped the faded black hoodie on over the revealing top. Alex quickly unlocked the door and slid out into her living room.

Lily's arms were raised in excitement, but she saw Alex's hoodie and exhaled sharply as her arms lowered to her sides, giving her the appearance of a deflating balloon. "If it weren't for your potty mouth and vulgar sense of humor, you would make the perfect nun," she deadpanned.

Alex was about to toss another insult to Lily, but a bright blue light flashed outside of the living room's large windows. A momentary crack of thunder followed lazily behind its counterpart.

She closed her mouth and smirked, "It looks like we'll be needing those jackets..."

Lily stuck her tongue out at Alex, "You win this time, beotch!"

She smiled haughtily. Alex then strode over to her coffee table and snatched up her car and house keys, along with her wallet, "Let me go ahead and take you to the bus stop."

Lily pouted as she grabbed her jacket from the coat rack. "You can't take me all the way to the Chinese place?"

Alex's look dulled, "Uh, no."

Lily sniggered as they exited the apartment onto the porch-like walkway.

The both stood in awe as water rushed eagerly from the sky and pounded into the pavement below.

"Damn..." Lily whispered.

Alex pulled the hood over her messy, strangely-angled tresses, "Let's run..."

Lily also donned the hood of her jacket over her cadet cap, "Yeah..."

_**YOUTHINKIGIVEYOUFANCYLINE? WRONG.**_

Alex finally returned to her apartment about an hour and a half after she left to take Lily to the bus stop about three blocks away. If the weather had not turned for the worst, or better in her opinion since it saved her from a confrontation with Lily, she would have told Lily just to walk the distance and she would have finished about forty-five minutes earlier.

As she grabbed her score of grocery bags from the passenger and back seats, Alex noticed a motorcycle parked a couple of spaces from her usual spot. _'That's odd...it looks familiar...' _Unfortunately, she couldn't remember the last place she had seen it... (Leave it to her to have a terrible short-term memory...)

She quickly dashed for the wet, slippery stairs that lead up to her apartment as the heavens poured heavy rainwater on top of her and her bags, and she jogged up two floors of stairs to her door, only to be greeted by a terrifying sight.

A sopping-wet Dante had propped himself nonchalantly by her door, his snowy hair sticking to the sides of his face as he grinned deviously at her. "It looks like I beat you."

Alex merely grunted as she shoved the key into her dysfunctional lock and knocked it open with a forceful swing of her pelvis.

Dante sniggered to himself, "That's a way to use your hips…"

She stared at him sullenly.

The two devil hunters rushed inside out of the rain.

Alex pulled her pair of high-tops off and kicked them near her couch, "Put your shoes here, if you will."

He kicked off his heavy boots, grateful to be rid of the soaking dead-weight, and he pulled of his soppy leather trench coat and placed them near Alex's pair of Converse.

"Nice," complimented Dante as he surveyed her living space with ice-blue eyes.

Alex gave a slight huff of amusement, "I've never thought of it that way..."

She walked into the kitchen and dumped the bags of groceries on her dining table as Dante plopped onto her threadbare couch and propped his feet up on one of the ends.

_'Well, at least you're getting all comfortable...I don't think Lily would forgive me if I killed you," _she deliberated bitterly.

"You got any good horror movies?" Dante called to Alex.

"Uh...check in the TV cabinet. I have lots..." she half-shouted, quietly trying to lower herself from his vision so she could pull of the hoodie and stuff it in the dryer…

She had the large hoodie pulled almost all the way off when Dante called to her again...

"Silent Hill? Woah, that's pretty demented-" He stopped mid sentence as he looked over to see Alex pull of the hoodie entirely and reveal her _nicely _busted and toned figure.

Dante let out a low whistle, "Damn, babe, I know you want me an' all, but this is too much."

Alex glared at him as she slowly raised the hoodie to cover herself.

"The video game is five times better," she commented coldly. _ 'Remember you promise, Alex!' _Dragomir's voice reminded her in her head. _'Damn old nosy-as-hell coot.' _She grit her teeth, "Do you need anything dried?"

He mused, "Well, now that I think about it..." Dante reached for his shirt and yanked it over his head.

The half-naked male sauntered slowly to a frozen Alex, whose heart was beating some rather odd rhythms in her chest. Seriously, how would any male-illiterate female in this kind of situation?

Possible scenarios ran marathons in her brain, all of which had Dante in someway pinned under Alex. '_It wouldn't take much to...Bad Alex, no! Dirty thoughts, stay out!' _

Dante's hand waved in front of her face. "You can stop drooling now," he taunted.

Her head snapped up to fully face to Dante, who was an alarming three or four inches away, and her face felt hot.

"Ha, that's rich," she growled as she ripped his shirt from his fingers. She prowled over to her dryer, shoved the garments into the dryer, and turned the knob to most dry. Dante chuckled quietly at her agitated behavior.

She then skulked back to the kitchen table and snatched the bags up to move them to the counter. _'Is this my eternal punishment? Karma, you're a bastard!' _She pulled out the topping for the pizza and turned to Dante, "How do you like your pizza?"

_'Okay, Alex, stop complaining. Take it like a half-devil. It's time to be a "gentle damsel"…'_

"Everything but olives," he answered automatically, so used to ordering pizza.

Alex gave a light laugh, which caused him to look back at her, "That's weird...That's how I like my pizza."

"Nice to know we have one thing in common," he replied teasingly as he leaned onto the counter a few feet away from Alex. He decided he would attempt to be a gentleman now; Trish and Lady lectured the hell out of him before he left.

Alex threw a large knife into the air before she caught it expertly with her left hand and sliced into a fresh bell pepper.

They pair sat in silence, but it was oddly comfortable; the only noises were the sound of breathing and chopping.

After a while, Dante gave up on making up lists of this they could discuss. "Is there anything you need to me to do?" Dante asked, feeling sort of useless. He wasn't exactly adept to kitchen duty.

"Uh..." Alex began, mentally running through the process, "Oh, yeah. Pull the crust out and follow the instructions on the package."

He reached quickly into one of the clear, flimsy plastic bags and protracted the boxed crust from it. Dante relieved the crust of its box-and-plastic confinements; he then placed it in the oven and set the time and temperature.

The male glanced back over to Alex, who was done chopping up vegetables for the pizza. She took her leave from the counter and moved toward her pantry, "Are you thirsty?"

"What do you have?"

She looked on the dark floor of the pantry and gauged what she currently had stocked, "Um...there's some Coke, Sprite, and Dr.Pepper." Her lips curled in disgust; she _hated_ Dr.Pepper, and she only bought it because Lily liked it.

"Dr.Pepper."

'_Hm, go figure,' _she condemned as she snatched herself up a can of coke.

"Coke? How boring," Dante tutted jokingly.

Her face recoiled into a sarcastic sneer, but she said nothing about his comment. She seated herself roughly in one of the table chairs. "Now come sit down before I smack you."

"Oh, now you're resorting to the threats? Babe, I know I'm awesome, but there's no need for violence. I'll come to you quite willingly..."

"Ha, I'm so flattered by your pathetic attempts to flirt. But I'm not quite so easy to win over..." _Oh, so he insisted on playing the flirt game_. That was fine, but she wasn't going to lose to his charm. She was much smarter than that.

He took the seat across from her and smirked, "Is that so?"

Her eyebrow rose in suspicion, _'Great, is this where he tries to force himself on me or whatever? I swear, if that bastard tries any crap, I'm gonna kill him." _

"I bet I can get you to like me..."

Alex scoffed in appalled amusement, "Hm, how are you so sure of that?"

"I get what I want, babe. I make sure of that."

Her mind wandered over to the point of pretty people getting what they want, which she denounced instantly. Dante may be hot, but that meant nothing!

She glared blandly at him, "You make me sound like some sort of trophy."

"Believe me when I say, I don't think of you that way."

Alex scoffed, "Then what do I strike you as?"

"You strike me as the tough girl who won't let anybody into her heart, in fear that they may see how gentle and sweet she is. You're afraid that someone will view you as a weakling or take advantage of you."

She almost flinched when her father's voice surged through her mind with her slight distress, _**'It's amazing to learn that you're so transparent, isn't it? That is why it will be so easy to destroy you.' **_

_'Really, huh? Try me.' _

The voice chuckled deeply, each vibration fading away into nothing.

Dante smirked as she regarded him sourly, "Looks like I hit a nerve..."

Alex snorted and crossed her arms pompously, and her face transformed into an air of disdain.

Dante sniggered at her display of arrogance as the dryer finally kicked off.

_'Yes! Thank you!' _She scrambled out of the rickety chair and into her small utility room, and she grabbed the garments out of dryer.

Alex pulled the hoodie back over her head thankfully. It didn't feel quite so nice to be so exposed in front of a _very_ _flirty_ hot guy... Great, she just called him hot willingly.

Yep, Karma was a **total** bastard. Total. _Bastard_. End of story.

She had only pulled Dante's shirt from the dryer when she heard the _'ding' _of the timer. Now that she thought about it, that pizza did smell pretty damn good….

The huntress walked into the kitchen and tossed Dante's shirt into his hands lazily.

"You better put this back on before I pounce on you and face-munch you, " she announced sarcastically.

Dante smirked and shook his head as he zipped his shirt back up, "I wouldn't mind…"

She rolled her dark eyes and reached for an oven mitt to retrieve the special treat from the oven. Even though she was half-devil, Lovely always stressed kitchen safety when she began cooking.

Alex slid the steamy pizza from the rack and placed it on the gas burners above on the top to close the door. As soon as she did this, she picked it back up and began heading toward her living room.

She glimpsed back at Dante, "Come on, we can eat it in here. I kinda feel like watching people getting ripped apart, too."

He wordlessly got up, much to Alex's surprise, and followed her to her couch. She placed the pizza on the coffee table and moved to her Play Station to put in a movie.

She turned her head to look at him, "Is there anything you want to watch?"

His face turned slightly thoughtful for a moment, "Hm…Now that I saw you had Silent Hill, I kinda feel like that movie right now."

She complied with his demand by popping it in and plopping back down on her couch on the opposite end.

As the movie began, Dante greedily seized a slice of the heavenly delicacy, "Let's see how you stack up…"

Alex smirked as she also reached for a piece.

His face transformed a look of satisfaction as he took a large bite, "Wow, that's actually pretty good…"

Alex laughed superciliously, "How do you think I keep Lily where I can keep an eye on her?"

Dante shook his head and chuckled.

_**One horror movie later….**_

Dante had gradually slid about halfway across the couch, and Alex was still located another half across.

Damn. Why couldn't she be one of the jumpy girls? Well, if she _was_ jumpy girl, she probably would not own over half of the horror movies that she had…

He heard Alex sigh irritably, "Dante, I know you don't think I've noticed, but _Jesus Christ, _just come sit by me! You move during all the intense parts when you think I'm too into it, and it's very distracting."

Damn again. Oh well, she offered… He quickly closed the gap between the two of them, and now they were centered at the far left of the worn couch.

She crossed her arms impatiently "And if you plan on doing the yawn-and-put-your-arm-me thing, go ahead and do it now. Save me the 'inconspicuous' crap."

Alex glared at him through the darkness as she heard a small, mocking snicker.

She would have _so _bitch-slapped that smirk of his face if it wasn't so pretty. Why did this have to be so difficult?

Alex felt a strong, well built arm wrap around her slender shoulders. _'Don't you dare think it feels nice!' _she hissed to the little fangirl chibi she had envisioned for this kind of situation as she bounced around in her head. She stared forlornly at Alex, _'But it does!' _

She slid a little farther down into the couch, only to have his arm catch under the base of her skull. Oh well, he made a good armrest…

_**Another horror movie later…**_

They were currently watching Hostel II, and that particular part that would make _any_ man flinch had just come on. You know, the one where Beth ripped Stuart's, ahem_…pride_ off **with scissors **and fed it to the dogs? Yeah…

There was a dark chuckle from Alex's direction as he screamed wildly in pain, and he stared at her skeptically. "Exactly what is so funny about that?"

"Well, since you're a guy, I don't expect you to understand, but when you're a chick, you probably would have done that, too. He fuckin' deserved it."

"That's…just not funny."

"Yeah, it is. Anyway, I would have stabbed it, laughed as he screamed in pain, _then_ I'd rip it off and give it to the dogs. And I probably would have done so with dull scissors, too."

Dante grimaced at that comment, if only slightly. "Ow. Remind me not to make you angry."

Alex flashed a pleasant, if not somewhat sadistic, smile in his direction.

No sooner after this exchange had taken place; a blindingly bright streak of lightning flashed outside of the windows, followed by a titanic clap of thunder whose vibrations shook the building.

Yeah, it was still practically flooding outside…

Then the electricity went "poof!"

"Shit!" Alex growled, "And it was just about to get to the part where they kill Axelle!"

She rose up from her chuckling, comfortable prop on the couch. (It was weird; he was actually kind of…squishy.)

Alex sighed, "Lemme go get some candles…" Her devil senses might have kicked in after the lights flickered off, but with everything that just kept happening lately, she didn't want to be caught off guard…

He watched her disappear into the kitchen, in which there was much shuffling of drawers and moving of random objects when Alex gently probed over them with her fingers.

There was a clunking of thick glass as it was placed on the counter and the swift strokes of matches against a rough surface. Tiny pinpoints of orange flame flared up, faintly illuminating Alex's face. She carefully lit the three candles she had located and fanned the match out as she balanced the three candles in her arms and returned to the living room.

She placed them onto the low coffee table and plopped back on her couch with her current company. Just for good measure, she tossed her legs into his lap and crossed them casually as she supported herself on the end-piece and placed her arms behind her head.

Dante sniggered quietly as he heavily rested his hands on her shins. Silence gently cloaked the room in a peculiarly cozy blanket as the pair watched the candles cast sputtering, dancing shadows on the walls…

_**Too much quiet time later…**_

_'This is probably the dreariest quiet in the history of silence…' _Alex gauged the power had been off for about an hour, and she was beginning to get antsy. She glanced down at the empty pan where the pizza had been. Nothing but crumbs remained, and she was starting to get hungry again…

She groaned, "Okay, I'm bored as hell. I've got to do something, or I'm going to die."

A devious grin flashed across Dante's face, "I can think of something we can do…"

Alex eyed him crossly, "Heh, no."

"You're no fun, babe."

She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out childishly, "I intend to keep it that way. And stop calling me that!"

"Alright, _Alex, _I have a question for you."

She gazed at him quizzically.

"What would you do if I tried to kiss you?"

Before she had time to react to the question, however, she felt Dante's weight gently pressing against her. He was _mere inches _away from her face.

_'Crap. Crap. Crapcracrapcrap. This isn't fair!' _

Mischievous icy-blue stared back into furious obsidian. As angry as she was, Alex's heart still pounded wildly in her chest, and he just kept drawing closer. Their noses were nearly touching when a miracle happened.

"What's Up, People?" played inside of her pocket.

This was one of the few times she was actually appreciative of Lily's calls.

A triumphant grin stretched across Alex's face, "If you don't mind, I have to get this…"

He disappointedly drew himself off of Alex as she dug her cell phone out of her pocket.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, Alex!" Lily shouted over the downpour, "Do you mind if we come over?"

She heard Hayden screech, "Lily, I'm cold! Hurry up!" while Lance and Sid sounded like they were arguing over what went wrong with the restaurant plans.

And then there was a loud roar about being quiet from a certain old hag she knew: her landlady.

Her dark eyes narrowed as she got up from her couch and padded to her apartment door. "Exactly _where_ are you at?"

"Uh…" Lily began as she giggled nervously, "Well, we're pretty close by…"

She wrenched her door open. "Exactly _how_ close?" grumbled Alex to the soaked, and very shocked, group of people standing outside her apartment.

Lily grinned timidly, "Uh…surprise?"

About that time, the power decided to flicker back on.

_'Heh, yeah, a surprise.' _

Alex pressed the off button on her phone and eyed all the members evilly, "Cut the crap and get inside."

They all scuttled shamefully inside her apartment as soon as she made the demand, acting much like children caught with their grubby little hands inside the cookie jar.

"Okay, you guys, you know drill."

They all abandoned their soggy shoes near the door, not noticing the extra pair of boots. (Alex owned many pairs of boots, so it didn't stick out like it should have.)

Hayden dramatically jumped into Alex's arms and squealed, "Alex, save me!!" when they noticed Dante draped lazily all the way across her couch. So, he made himself _entirely_ comfortable in her absence.

She regarded Hayden displeasingly and mumbled tiredly, "Hayden, you have three seconds to get off of me before I drop you on the floor…"

He flew from her grip, "You don't have to worry about it now."

Lance's stomach growled fiercely, "Do you have any food? I'm starving…"

Jack nodded his agreement.

Sid smacked her in the arm before she could answer and whispered, "Conference!"

Alex rolled her eyes, "Uh, check the fridge…"

Alex followed an excited Lily and Sid to her bedroom, and Sid shut the door quickly and locked it.

Sid gaped at Alex, "…Damn!! He's _gorgeous…_"

Alex stared at her for a moment, "Uh…what?"

"That guy! You know…whatever-his-name-is…"

Her hand smacked skeptically into her face, "He was at The Underground when you guys played."

"_Oh_! Yeah, well," she began sheepishly, "I didn't pay that much attention to him then. But, _woah, _I'm kinda sad that I didn't…"

Alex scoffed, "You're just like Lily!"

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Lily indignantly cut in.

Alex laughed humorlessly, "I'm not even gonna go there…"

Hayden smirked mischievously as he noticed the girls disappear into Alex's bedroom. He strode over to the dining table where Lance and Jack were currently enjoying left over chicken breast.

He stared at them smugly, "You know, the girls just went to 'conference'…"

Lance and Jack slowed their vigorous chewing and glanced at each other. They shot up from the chairs and quickly trailed behind Hayden into the hallway, where they slowed their pace to a stealthy tip-toe as they neared the door…

They pressed their ears to the door when Dante suddenly appeared beside them, leaning coolly on the doorframe, "Mind if I listen?"

Hayden nearly shot in the air when Lance snatched him back down again. "You're going to get us castrated!" he hissed to Hayden as the resumed their positions.

Jack just nodded silently to Dante before turning his attentions back to the conversation.

"Tell us what happened!" chirped Lily.

Lily and Sid were always the ones they could hear the most, but they could only catch little tid-bits of what Alex could say; she talked too low to hear what she said through the door.

Dante, regardless, would be able to hear every word.

"Nothing, really."

Well, the guys easily caught that.

"Alex, it's not 'nothing, really'. You use that excuse when you don't want to tell me something!" Lily whined.

They heard her sigh, "Fine. I made food; we watched some movies, and that was practically it."

"What did she just say?" whispered Hayden.

"I think it was something about waffles…" Lance quietly answered back.

"No, you idiot, it's something about food mooing…?" Jack muttered, also a little skeptical about what was being spoken.

"Neither of that sounds right!" pouted Hayden.

Lance whacked him on top of the head, "It's your fault that you asked! We won't be able to understand her if you keep talking!"

"You jackass, that hurt!" Hayden angrily hissed.

"Both of you stop! We're going to get caught!" growled Jack.

They realized they were talking again, and the rowdy guys calmed back down to listen.

Dante only watched this all in amusement.

"How can you not like him? He's hot!" Yep, Sid.

There was a smug scoff from Lily, "You should have seen him in a towel…"

All three guys' faces transformed into a look of puzzlement and disgust. (And Dante suppressed snickers; he knew what subject was.)

"What?!" Hayden whispered a bit too loudly.

Alex perked up when she heard a distinct 'what' this time, so she knew she was not just being paranoid about the guys.

"Shu-!" Lance began, but he was cut off by a fierce kick to the door.

_**BAM!! **_

They all darted from the door, painfully clutching the ear that had faced the door before, followed by a, "Fuck off!" from an irritable Alex.

Dante merely smirked at the unfortunate males as they slowly rose from the floor, and he strolled nonchalantly behind them as they staggered back into Alex's living room.

Hayden painfully glanced at his companions as they landed in a tangled heap on Alex's couch, "Let's never do that again…"

Lance and Jack nodded their agreement, but it didn't really matter. This happened every time they attempted to spy, and they were bound to do it again. Yup, they're that nosy.

Then their gazes caught sight of Alex's beloved Play Station 2, which followed over to the abandoned wireless guitar that was placed in a corner.

"Dude…Guitar Hero!" proclaimed Hayden.

Lance and Jack smirked as they lunged for the controller, searched for the disk, and popped it in…

Lily and Sid were currently giggling like idiots on Alex's large bed; the boys were dumb enough to try…again. And three of them were discovered…again. Boy, what a vicious circle!

Alex sighed, "Alright, now that they're dealt with…"

She motioned for them to come closer to her, just in case the boys were not to be deterred and attempted to listen once again. Alex mumbled the entire story to them, earning some fangirl squeals.

The female had finished the last sentence where she recounted to the part were Lily had disturbed them…

She calmly murmured to Alex, "Well, geez, I'm sorry to have ruined your moment, but…"

The boys heard a loud, high-pitched screech that obviously belonged to Lily, "**OH, MY GOD, WHY DIDN'T YOU KISS HIM BACK?!" **

They paused their game, and they turned to stare at Dante, who was propped coolly on the couch watching them.

He grinned wickedly, and the guys instantly interpreted its meaning.

Hayden's mouth flew open and flailed his arms dramatically, "You tried that on her?!"

Jack smiled stiffly, "If it had been one of us to try that on her, she would have ripped our faces off…"

Lance glanced back at him, "Yeah, so she obviously likes you in a different way than she likes us…"

They all suddenly shot him a thumb's-up. Hayden cheerily added, "So, good job!"

Dante just shook his head in amusement.

Lily and Sid marched out of the hallway, and when they caught sight of the boys, they seemed to puff up and put their hands on their hips.

Well, they weren't worried about them. _But where was Alex…? _

There was a dark presence behind the three of them…

All three boys grimaced and thought, _'Oh, fuck…' _

"Hello, gentleman," Alex greeted unenthusiastically before she dealt all three of them a painful blow to the head.

Lance and Jack flinched in pain while Hayden howled a strangled 'ow!'

Hayden moped, "Alex, you're so abusive!"

"Yeah, well, you guys shouldn't have been trying to be nosy little jerks."

He grinned feebly, "Point taken."

Sid snatched suddenly Jack's guitar from his hands and snarled as she brandished a finger at her twin brother, "_I'm_ going to be the one to beat the crap out of him!"

Jack slowly raised his arms in defense, expression slightly fearful, and he carefully backed away from the vicious female.

Lance smirked at his sister, "Are you that eager to get your ass kicked?"

"Hah!" she sneered, "You'll be saying that after I leave you in my dust!"

"Alright, dear sister, what do you want to play?"

Her chocolate-brown eyes narrowed, "DragonForce. _On hard." _

His playful smirk morphed into malicious grin, "Your wish is my command…"

Alex shook her head and moved to catch a spot on her couch.

Hayden was currently sitting on the far left, followed by Lily, and Jack was lounging between Hayden and Lily on the floor. That left the open area by Dante on the far right.

Judging by the sweet, innocent expression scrawled on Lily's face, she had to be the one that orchestrated the entire layout.

There weren't enough curse words in English to describe her chagrin.

She plopped beside him tiredly; all this human activity made her exhausted, and it wasn't even seven yet!

The twins started on the monstrously difficult song, fingers flying over buttons as they appeared.

Hayden wasted no time drumming the beat out on an imaginary drum set, and Lily sung loudly to ZP Theart as Jack and Alex vaguely bobbed out the beat.

Alex settled on zoning out entirely as she closed her eyes and leaned back into the cushions, just listening to the present display of competition…

_**HA,YOUTHOUGHTIWASGONE,DIDN'TYOU?**_

She listened quietly as the results for their last song came up.

"WHAT?!" Lance and Sid gasped in unison as they realized their scores were _the same_, and they turned to growl at each other.

_'How many times is that now? Three?' _

"How dare you!" Sid squeaked angrily.

"Hey, don't look at me! It's your fault, too!" he fired back, also quite vexed.

Sometimes having a twin sucks._ Especially_ when you seem to have a strange cord that connects and directs your movements together…

Dante stared boredly at Alex's relaxed form, deeming all the other living beings in the room uninteresting.

Her eyes were closed. An opportunity to do something amusing, perhaps?

He quickly poked her cheek, and observed in amusement as her eyebrows dipped slightly in irritation before her expression returned to normal since the sensation was gone.

He decided to poke again. And again. And again. And agai-

One dark eye lazily slid open before eying him irately, "What?"

His finger was still digging lightly into her cheek, "It's addicting." He poked her again to prove his point.

Her one eye shut again as she turned away to lean on her sister.

Lily eyed the pair before rolling her eyes and returned her attention back to the current battle of better guitarist.

Resolving not to be dissuaded by her actions, Dante poked her in the back about five or six times with out much of a response. Damn it, he wanted a reaction!

He briefly halted his current ministrations as he decided where to prod next. Where were people usually ticklish…?

_'Thank God he stopped-' _

He jabbed her roughly in the ribs before she shot from the couch and landed several feet away.

All members turned to stare at her oddly (but not without pausing the game first, of course.)

Her expression compared to that of a cornered animal.

Lily twisted around to look at Dante, "Congratulations on finding Alex's one and only weak spot."

Oh, the gleam in his eye didn't look too promising…

She backed away before turning to make a run for it.

Alex skittered across the floor as Dante flew from the couch to pursue her, and everyone decided that this would be much more interesting to spectate.

They ran around the living room for almost ten minutes, dodging cords, whooping people, and random objects before Dante finally tackled Alex to the floor.

The pair wrestled for a moment, with Alex making death threats, and Dante finally pinned Alex beneath him.

The writhing body beneath him stared angrily at the people sideways since her face was squashed into the floor under Dante's weight.

She turned her head as best she could to peer at Dante through the hair that covered her face, "Damn it, please don't-"

His fingers dug into her ribs, and she thrashed violently under him as wild, hysterical laughter ripped through her throat.

Dante snickered wickedly as he quickened his jabs, causing Alex to lurch forward and her uncontrollable laughter doubled, along with her pleads for release.

After what seemed an agonizingly long period of time for Alex, Dante fingers finally stopped playing a savage version of a piano solo on her rib cage.

She sucked in several rough, ragged breaths before she glared at her audience, "I really hope you guys enjoyed that because _I'm going to kill you all." _

"Now, now, Alex, you can't kill them. That would be wrong," he tutted as he pat her head.

Now that she could prop herself on her elbows, she turned her head to scowl at him, "You're next."

He smirked. Stupid jerk.

The last giggles and snickers died away as everyone returned their interest back to Guitar Hero.

She sat under him for a few more moments before she irritably questioned, "Are you going to get off me now?"

He shifted himself into a more comfortable position on top of Alex's butt, "No. You make a good cushion."

She groaned as she flopped on the floor entirely….

_**After being sat on for nearly an hour…**_

Alex had finally resorted to tapping her nails against the tile. Anything to distract her from pompous male that currently resided on top of her ass.

_'Don't forget to mention hot!' _

Damn that little fangirl to the darkest pits of Hell.

Everyone seemed to have forgotten their existence as he sat on top of her at one of the back, slightly hidden corners of her couch. Of course, Lily would occasionally launch a quick amused look in her direction when she wasn't watching her band members play.

She turned to frown at Dante, shapely lips slightly jutted out in a cranky pout, "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" (Maybe 'her feminine wiles' could convince him to get the hell off of her…)

He smirked arrogantly at her, "Yep."

She sighed impatiently, "Will you _please _get off me?"

"No."

"Damn it, you've reduced me to fucking _begging. _What more do you want?"

"You can beg all you want, but I'm not going to get off," he taunted as his face edged forward.

She hissed at him, _"Stop doing that!" _

He snickered, "Doing what? This?" His face inched forward.

She twisted her body entirely to face him. "Yes, you jackass. It makes me nervous."

Their noses were nearly touching again, "Nervous, huh?"

Alex snarled and slammed into him, which sent him flying backward. She used those few milliseconds of his midair flight to jam him under her, forearm braced tightly against his throat.

"Yes, nervous," she sneered quietly, "I can't tell you the last time I kissed a guy."

She released Dante, stood back up, and stared angrily down at him.

He propped himself up on his elbows and remarked, "Geez, I could have helped you with that…"

Alex crossly dug her face into her hand before she held up her other to help him up.

Dante accepted her attempt to help him back up in surprise before a mischievous thought crossed his mind.

Alex brought her hand away from her face as Dante's grip on her wrist suddenly tightened, "What are you do-?

His face transformed into a smirk as he wrenched her downwards into his arms, where she landed face first into his muscular chest.

There was a muffled moan and a small, "Why do you insist on doing this?"

"Because you entertain me."

"Oh, thanks. I'm glad I make a great form of amusement," she mumbled sarcastically.

Alex felt the mischievous snickers vibrate from Dante's torso, and she squirmed as his hold intensified, causing her face to be further be squashed into his chest.

She flailed wildly in his arms and yelped, "Stop, your chest is going to make my face break!"

Well, everyone, save Lily and Sid, decided to ignore all the odd noises and crashing that went on behind the couch. To the boys, Alex had to start _sometime_…

Lily and Sid's heads carefully rose over the top of the couch to stare and giggle at the fighting pair below them.

Dante's azure gaze flickered up to them before he winked flirtatiously.

Lily and Sid shamelessly swooned, faces contorting into wide grins.

Alex pretty much could discern what was happening, even if all she could see was black fabric.

They all heard a stifled grunt, "Dante, can I at least _breathe?_"

Another chuckle resounded through his chest cavity before his grasp loosened enough for her to move her face freely.

Her obsidian gaze shifted sulkily up to her captor, "Jerk."

"You're too cute. I can't help myself," he countered, cocky grin written across his handsome features.

"Ha, can't help it _my ass_," she huffily mumbled.

"Which actually is very nice," he commented playfully as his fingers brushed her belt loops.

Her arm smacked his back roughly, "Don't you touch me there! It's mine, so if I want you to touch it, I'll let you know."

The girls and Dante sniggered before the girls turned back to face the newest showdown between Hayden and Jack. And Hayden was getting his butt kicked….

Alex heard Hayden's, "AGH!" along with Jack's quiet chuckles.

After the song ended, the girls shot up off the couch.

"ALRIGHT!" Lily bellowed, "IT'S OUR TURN NOW!!"

They seized the controllers from the last pair of opponents, strutted in front of the screen, and chose a song.

"Wanna make a bet?" Sid questioned conceitedly, knowing full well she was victor anyway.

_'Uh oh, Lily's a sucker for bets she can't win…' _

Lily smirked, "Okay, what's the wager?"

"Whoever wins gets treated to a shopping trip…"

_'Boy, you're really playing on the weaknesses, aren't you, Sid?' _

"Alright, you're on!"

Now that Alex had the chance, she plead- uh, asked, "Please let me go?"

"No."

"…How 'bout now?"

"Still no."

Okay, she was getting desperate; she was enjoying this more than she should have, "…I'll make you another pizza…"

"As tempting as that sounds, no."

"Damn it, I want out!" she grumbled as she struggled roughly, but to no avail.

"You're not getting it," he answered haughtily, arms still clutched in death hold around the small of her back.

She mumbled a pretty string of curses as her forehead clonked onto Dante's chest. Alex grunted grumpily as she reluctantly relaxed against him.

It was apparent she was going to be there a while, so why not be comfortable?

Alex heard her sister's cry of anger as she lost. "You--you set me up for this!" she squeaked furiously at Sid, finger jabbed out in accusation.

"No," she retorted snobbishly, "_You _set yourself up for it!"

"Uh, Alex?-"

"NO!"

"Damn!" Lily muttered. She wasn't going to be able to borrow any money…

_**Wow, this is rather dragged out, isn't it? **_

The warm, slowly breathing dark fabric of Dante's shirt still flooded her line of vision. She had to admit, the slow rhythm of his heartbeat against her forehead had a particularly alluring effect, like a siren's call to her to calm down and rest. It surprised her that she actually felt this sleepy. Wow, it had been a while since she had been so…

Yeah, but it had been a while since she sat in the same room with so many people.

She breathed in deeply, nostrils drawing in Essence of Dante. There was a hint of demon's blood, all sandy and pungent. Leather and steel. A sharp tinge of cologne. Perspiration and the oils in his skin…

_'Ha, I must be more tired than I thought. I'm thinking way too much…' _

Her eyes fluttered closed, ears still full of the lull of laughing, breathing, and the pressing of buttons…

Dante scrutinized Alex's dozing form, cerulean eyes wandering over her chaotic raven hair down to the cotton fabric of her faded black hoodie that rose and fell smoothly with each inhalation. He permitted himself a small, crooked smile as he chuckled faintly.

Two heads full of black and dark brown hair peeked over the edge of the couch, followed by pairs of gray and chocolate eyes glittering with curiosity.

The two girls squeaked in happiness at the sight. Alex was _sleeping! _In a guy's arms, no less!

"Geez, Dante, you really are quite the charmer! I've never seen Alex like that!" Lily congratulated quietly, not wanting to disturb her older sister. Alex slept lightly, and she could be particularly vicious if you woke her up before she had entirely rested… Besides, it wasn't everyday she did something as shocking as this.

Sid bobbed her head in agreement fervently, "Mm' hm!"

He smirked devilishly, "I try…"

A blonde blur flew into the couch beside Sid. "Hi, guys, what 'cha doooin'?" greeted Hayden, who then noticed the spectacle below the couch.

His eyes grew wide, "We thought…did you? Uh…"

His hazel gaze slid over to Sid, and he smirked mischievously as he pinched Sid, who squawked in pain.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

He grinned, "Oh, just to see if I was actually awake or asleep."

She glared at him in a peeved fashion, "Why did you just do it to yourself, you dummy? Just save me the trouble!"

"But pinching _hurts_!" he whined pitifully.

Sid unleashed a barrage of pinches on Hayden's arms, "It sure does!"

They both went tumbling off the couch while Hayden screeched, "Don't do that to me! I bruise easily!"

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have started it!

The pair tousled on the floor, with Hayden aiming to prevent the livid female on top of him from inflicting any more pain.

They rammed into an utterly concentrated Lance and Jack, and their collision caused the two boys to miss a large amount of notes, which caused them to stop the song and fuss at the fighting duo.

Lily planted her face into her open palm, _'Oh, it's going to be bad if Alex wakes up…' _

**RAHRAHRAHRAH **overflowed into Alex's subconscious.

_'What…? It doesn't matter; just ignore it…' _She dug her face deeper in the warmth of Dante's shirt, entirely forgetting that she was still in his arms.

**RAHRAHRAHRAHRAH **

_'Go away!' _she whined grumpily in her brain as she attempted to block out the undesirable drone.

**RAHRAHRAH-**

Then it finally clicked inside her brain; it was the sound of arguing.

"He pinched me, and then-!"

Was that Sid?

She groaned gruffly, and she slowly opened her protesting eyelids as she shifted in Dante's arms and looked up to blearily stare at Dante.

He smirked at the sight of her dark, sleepy gaze, "Hello."

She grunted as she shifted, "Do you mind if I get this?"

_'Well, I might as well let go now.' _His grip loosened, and his arms snaked from around her back.

"Thanks," she mumbled drowsily as she stood up to face the arguing bunch.

_'Oh, geez, Oh, geez. Oh, Geez!' _Lily's ears caught the sound of some small talk and rustling. **The terror had raised itself from the dead! **

"Hi," murmured a quiet, slurry voice near her ear. Lily flinched as she realized who it was.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to take care of some business now…" Alex muttered.

Lily noticed Dante rise from the floor to prop himself on the top half of the couch.

"Hey, what time is it?"

Lily's eyes flickered down to her watch, "Uh…it's almost ten thirty…"

His nose wrinkled in a look of disappointment, "I'll probably have to leave soon…"

Lily twisted her head back around to glance at Dante, her face scrawled into a look of shock, "Leave? Why? It's not that late…"

Dante snickered lightly, "Yeah, but Lady and Trish have set me up on curfew."

She slumped in exasperation, "What the hell for?"

"I like staying out too late. It's not good for a guy who owns a business, they say."

She shook her head slightly, "What exactly is your 'curfew'?"

"Twelve."

She gasped wildly, "That's _so _not fair!"

"You're telling me!"

Zombie Alex finally sluggishly slunk her way to her disputing victims, who were apparently too engrossed in their argument to notice the incensed aura that loomed behind them…

**RAHRAHRAHRAH- **

Her arm shot out, successfully smacking the heck out of the four members in one fell sweep.

"OW!" they all bellowed in unison as they grabbed at the back of their skulls in utter agony.

"Now, would you mind _shutting the hell up_?"she growled forcefully, dark glower on her face, "Or am I going to have to get ugly?"

They all shook their heads silently, fearful expressions dawning on their faces.

"Good."

She saw that Dante had gotten of the floor, so she decided to plop on the couch beside her sister and lay her head in her lap.

Lily giggled lightly in contentment as she played with her sister's dark hair.

Everyone returned to their activities before the incident, but this time, the boys and Sid settled for drooling over Soul Calibur.

Dante decided to make himself comfortable on the couch once again, and he sat adjacent to the ball that Alex had drawn herself into.

"Well, that was an interesting display."

"Meh."

Silence seemed to take a seat by them as well as they watched all four opposed each other aggressively.

"Did I hear you correctly, or were you telling Lily that you have a curfew?" Alex questioned casually, making an attempt to create a conversation.

"Yeah…"

Alex huffed in amusement, "Are you that bad about staying out late?"

"What's wrong with staying up all night partying and drinking? It's not like I can't just sleep it off in an hour or two."

"Well, you _are_ the owner of Devil May Cry…You have obligation."

Dante shrugged carelessly, "They're much better at running it than I am. I have other things I want to do."

The two other females rolled their eyes at Dante's response, and they all quieted as they considered the conversation closed.

The couch's three occupants once more watched the epic struggle of top gamer detachedly. Alex found her already faint interest waning, giving way to the light sleep that the relaxing movement Lily's fingers coaxed.

She was almost fully asleep when her subconscious was laced with Dante's deep, attractive voice, "I probably need to get back before I give Trish and Lady a chance to eat me alive."

The extra weight on the couch lifted, giving Alex the distinct feeling of floating.

Alex snuggled closer to Lily, before her rest was rudely interrupted by a rough smack to her rib cage.

"What?" she groaned irritably.

"Dante's leaving," Lily hissed.

"I noticed," Alex yawned in reply as she stretched.

Alex flinched as she was forcefully jabbed in the ribs by her sister, and Lily hissed again, "So, go say goodbye to your guest!"

Muscles screamed in objection, and she rubbed away the tiredness from her eyes as she lifelessly followed after Dante, who was currently pushing his feet into his boots and shrugging back on his flashy crimson trench coat.

"Hi," she mumbled listlessly.

A secretive smirk lit up his face. Dante was plotting something.

Honestly, she was too tired to care what it was.

She trailed after him as he slowly opened her door, and a gush of cool summer night air caressed their bodies as it fluttered into her apartment.

His dancing silvery-blue eyes gazed into Alex's dulled obsidian as he grinned wickedly, "'Night, babe."

Dante's lips swiftly connected with Alex's.

_'HOLYCRAP. WTFISHAPPENING?' _

He broke off, smirk playing across his lips at Alex's blank look, obviously still trying to deduce what just happened. Dante strutted to the railing of the walkway.

He flashed a two-finger salute, "And thanks for the pizza!"

With that, he disappeared over the railing, nothing more than a blood-red blur.

Alex vaguely wondered if it was all a dream.

_'No,' _her brain rationalized, _'Your lips tingle too much for it to be a dream.' _

Wait, they tingled? She gently pressed her fingers to her lips, and sure enough, the strange sensation magnified at her touch.

She walked back into her apartment in a daze, devoid of all feeling except for the fuzzy warmth that had settled into the pit of her stomach.

Well, what an interesting development…

Alex flopped down numbly beside her sister on the couch, face marred in thought.

"What happened, Alex? You like you've seen a ghost!" Lily questioned in concern.

She didn't even spare Lily a glance, eyes fixed on empty space, "He kissed me."

Lily sputtered in absolute shock, "He-he…Oh, my God!"

Alex's dark gaze slid onto Lily as she stood up quickly, "I'm gonna go to bed now."

Lily stared Alex in amazement, and her gray eyes followed her sister as she skulked down the hallway to her bedroom.

An ecstatic squeal bubbled from Lily's throat, and she bounced happily on Alex's couch.

A wave of chaos erupted from the others as they scrambled to pause the fight.

A crazed expression crashed onto Hayden's face as he floundered wildly, "Oh, my God! Lily, are you _dying_?! What is it? Tell us!!"

_'Oops, I forgot they were here…' _

She halted her movement abruptly, face turning a strawberry color as she stared at the scared group with wide eyes, "Uh, it's nothing. I just felt _super happy_, that's all!"

Unsurprised 'ohs' filled the room as they returned to their game.

Lily heaved a sigh of relief, _'Alex, I'm so proud of you!' _

Alex stared up at the plain ceiling in the quiet darkness of her room. She smiled slightly to herself, _'Dante, you're __**so**__ dead.' _

Her eyelids slid closed. Sleep wrapped her in its welcoming embrace, and for the first time in nearly a month, pleasant dreams drifted gently into her head.

* * *

Well, there you have it! I tried... ;

_You see that little review button? It would really like it if you pressed it.  
_


	7. Problems

The pale moon hung high in the deep indigo sky, and the air stood still and silent as two figures strode gracefully toward eac

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Devil May Cry, much to my grief.

**Rating: **PossiblePG-17 – Certain incest qualities, kiddies.

_**CAUTION: RANT TIME!!**_

I'M SO, SO, SO SORRY THAT IT'S REALLY LATE. FORGIVE MY MAD PROCRASTINATION SKILLS. BUT DON'T FORGIVE MY WRITER'S BLOCK. (Is attempting to gun down embodied Writer's block.)

This chapter is fail. :c

And I would be eternally grateful if someone became my beta/muse-idea giver! You're going to need Windows messenger, good email, and an original brain. If you have these qualities, LET ME KNOW.

Thank you, my dear reviewers for all the messages and ideas! I luffles you guys!! (And some of your ideas have already turned some rusty wheels!)

_**(End rant.)**_

_The pale moon hung high in the deep indigo sky, and the air stood still and silent as two figures strode gracefully toward each other, stepping over the many corpses that stained the large field with crimson._

_The two figures' countenances were suddenly magnified. One figure's face was hidden by his long, somewhat disheveled raven bangs, but his smoldering orange eyes contrasted heavily with the shadowing. The other's fair hair shone in the moonlight, and his ice-blue eyes gleamed with barely controlled anger as he stared evenly into the hateful orange. _

_Their darkly colored armor clanked loudly in the silence as they slowed their pace into a casual gait, and when they reached a few meters within each other, they halted entirely, drawing their blades. Not a word was uttered, and two wild, furious energies were unleashed as they charged swiftly toward each other, the air crackling. _

_The view abruptly switched when their swords meet with a shower of sparks. The snowy haired male's tresses now hung in his face, and the dark haired one was now female… _

Alex shot up from her pillow, exhaling sharply.

_**'You see? History's doomed to repeat itself…' **_

She growled as she ran her fingers through her unkempt hair, catching tangles, and she tossed her covers off of her roughly as she stood up.

The people were obvious; Sparda, Cillian, Dante, and she. _He _said that history was doomed to repeat itself, and that's what she was afraid of…

Despite her distress, her stomach growled loudly, vocalizing its hunger.

She rolled her eyes, _'Well, food it is…' _

The last week had being terribly uneventful at Devil May Cry. Dante had only received three calls in the past two days, and the hunting had been disappointing. Only groups of small fry.

If that wasn't monotonous enough, he couldn't pester the other two hunters of Devil May Cry; Lady and Trish had left to do whatever the hellit was that they did when work got slow. And that was most likely making him go bankrupt.

Dante yawned loudly as he propped his boots up on his desk and stared up uninterestedly at the ceiling fan. What could he do to amuse himself…? He _could _call Alex and annoy the hell out of her. It _was_ pretty funny how easy it was. (Even Trish and Lady weren't annoyed _that_ fast.)

_'Nah, I don't feel like it.' _

He settled on watching the ceiling fan complete its lazy circles…

After what seemed an excruciatingly long wait, the angry, screechy rings of the old phone bellowed through the thick silence, and Dante snatched up the receiver gleefully before it even had time to ring a second time.

In spite of his mad joy, Dante kept his tone cool and smooth, "Devil May Cry. This is Dante."

The annoying, nasally jabber of a strange female ripped through his sensitive ears, angrily asking for a guy with a really weird name and ranting about how he was done for.

"Sorry. You must have the wrong number," he responded as he jammed the receiver back on top of the phone, incensed that there weren't any demons he could vent his boredom on.

The quiet click of the knob on the doors to the shop caught his attention. He leaned forward and placed his feet back on the floor under his large desk as the door opened fully to reveal a tall elderly man clad in a navy Cheongsam that was draped over his similar-colored trousers.

The old man smiled wearily, "Hello, Dante. It's been quite a while since I've last seen you."

Dante leaned indifferently back into his desk chair, "What brings you here, Dragomir?"

"Alexandra."

Dante's azure eyes gazed questioningly at the older man.

Dragomir quickly made his way to the front of Dante's desk, "You're going to need to watch her."

"She seems quite capable of doing that herself…"

"It's not that. Her father is probably being revived as we speak, and he plans on releasing Mundus."

Dante looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, that's not all that great. But what does she have to do with this?"

"She may not feel it at the moment, but her father has control of her. He plans on using her to get rid of you and reopen the plane."

His eyebrows lowered in disapproval, "That's a sick thing for a father to do."

Dragomir stared at Dante seriously, "You don't know half of Alex's existence, my boy. But I believe that should be for Alex to tell you."

Silence engulfed the room for a moment as Dragomir began tensely, "Well, Dante, let me just get to the reason I'm really here… I was hoping you could possibly let her stay here with you…I know she wouldn't admit it, but she needs your assistance with controlling her devil abilities. I'm not a demon, so I'm not suitable for teaching her such things."

He scoffed with vague amusement, "I have an extra room here, but can you convince her?"

Dragomir chuckled quietly, "Yes, she's incredibly stubborn, but she'll eventually listen to reason."

Two shadowed figures carefully traced a seal with blood-covered hands around a pile of ashes. Once they had finished, they stepped out of the intricate perimeter and commenced chanting in an outlandish, unnatural hiss. The ancient language of shadow demons.

The seal glowed with an unearthly amethyst color, and the ashes began shifting into the shape of a man. The gray, grainy color and texture transformed into tan, smooth flesh, and dark hair settled onto broad, muscled shoulders. His expression was serene as his eyes slid open to reveal calm obsidian.

The two silhouetted forms bowed respectfully to the naked man in front of them.

"Father."

"Master."

The man chuckled darkly, "Ciaran, I've noticed that you haven't greeted your sister yet."

His scarlet eyes deepened to a ruby color as he smirked, and he melted into the shadows.

Cillian glanced down at the smaller stature of Lonan as the younger boy quietly offered him a beautiful coal-colored tunic. He grasped it carefully in his long fingers and slid it over his body, "Come. We have business to tend to."

After Alex had ravenously finished off a bowl of cereal, she decided to play a few levels of her last Resident Evil 4 save. Those 'few levels' turned into about half the day of blowing zombie villagers and horribly mutated creatures to bits, and it was well into the evening when Alex finally forced herself to stop to rest her eyes.

The huntress grabbed her keys and music player from their spots on her dining table, and she also strapped on her weapons, choosing that it would do her some good if she took a walk for fresh air.

As Alex strolled outside of her door, she was greeted playfully by a warm gush of air, and the sky glowed with the shades of dusk. She locked her door, shoved the tiny headphones into her ears, and set it on 69 Eyes.

Jyrki's deep voice filled her ears to the brim as she jumped over the side of the building, landing in an awesome ninja crouch.

Despite the volume of the music, her ears were pierced with the high-pitched squealing of girls.

She crossly glanced at the two pretty blondes standing about three feet behind her, manicured hands clamped on their mouths and eyes wide with shock.

One mustered the courage to remove her hand from her mouth and fearfully ask as her eyes trailed over Alex's odachi and gun holsters, "Oh, my God, what are you??"

Alex rose to her full height, and she seemed to tower over the girls, "I'm an, uh, _assassin_. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to go kill someone for a large sum of money now."

The two nodded mutely as Alex dashed across the parking lot to the street, _'Well, it's halfway true…' _

The blonde that first found herself incapable of speaking finally looked at her friend, "Do think she was actually a hired killer?"

The other nodded in disagreement. "No, she's probably just some deranged cosplayer who just thinks she is."

They both just shrugged as they scuttled away for the nearest boutique.

Scarlet eyes followed the raven-haired huntress as she weaved her way through a group of stumbling drunkards outside of a bar. She received a few cat calls and wolf whistles, and even a few attempted gropes, but she brushed it all off and kept walking down the dark pavement.

He decided it would be time to make his move.

_**Dante stood casually in a dark alleyway and stared down at the bloody mass of carnage that surrounded him. **_

_**He sheathed Rebellion with an air of disdain, "That was just too easy…" **_

_**His silvery-blue gaze traveled up to the full white moon, and he closed his eyes as he remembered the night on Temen-Ni-Gru. **_

_**A soft breeze carried an unfamiliar scent into his nose. It was vaguely sweet, but it was mainly smothered by the stench of demon's blood. He opened his eyes. **_

_**A dark-headed female was silhouetted against the pristine background of the moon. Her unruly, chin-length hair was the color of ravens, and her deep eyes were just as dark as her hair. The female's wardrobe consisted of long gray tank top and black vest, a pair of black cargo pants, combat boots, and a long sword strapped to her back. **_

_**They stayed entirely silent as they watched each other intently, and after a few moments, the female disappeared as quickly as she came. **_

Dante's eyes flit open sluggishly from his dream of before the times of Trish, Nelo Angelo, and Mundus. So, he had fallen asleep after the old man left…

Just exactly who was that? She seemed oddly familiar…

A strange chill itched its way up his spine and into his arms and neck.

And it suddenly stuck out to him. Alex.

He leaped from his comfortable position in his desk chair, snatched up Ebony, Ivory, and Rebellion, and hurried toward the door.

Once outside, Dante seated himself on Lady's motorcycle and revved the engine to life. He would apologize later.

Alex perched on the top floor ledge of the ancient, somewhat crumbly apartment building, feeling as though she had been there once before.

She searched through her memories, and something finally surfaced through the sticky haze of long forgotten things. Alex remembered watching someone fight and how amazed she was, but the person's face was smudged and bleary. But she _did _recall how tacky she thought that person's outfit was…

Her head, shoulders, and back suddenly tingled with the sensation of being watched, and she slowly turned her head to glance around the moonlit roof. Nothing except the occasional mouse.

Alex shook her head at her paranoia and pushed herself off of the ledge. Before landed on the pavement, she was struck by an unknown force in the jaw, flying and crashing into the concrete several yards away.

Her ears rang wildly as her blood rushed through her head, chin stinging as blood trailed down her neck. She slid her hand carefully over the wound, fingertips trailing over deep cuts. _'Claw marks?' _

A sadistic chuckle resonated through the dark alley as she cautiously rose off of the hard, grimy ground and planted her boots in the pavement, guard on high alert.

A figure appeared from the darkness, tall, striking, and slightly familiar. Alex would be damned if his eye shape and nose weren't similar to hers…

Realization slowly overtook the huntress as she warily studied his messy hair, the strange markings that tangled their way down his torso, his stance, and recognition flooded into her brain full force when her dark gaze landed on his hands—_claws_. His hands were metal. Not skin and bone and muscle.

Her eyes widened, "Ciaran."

He casually placed a hand-like metal claw haughtily on his hip, "Well, _Alexandra, _I'm glad we already know each other enough to skip the introductions and get straight to the games. So, why don't you draw that little toy you call a sword?"

Ciaran extended his arms as the concrete began to fault and rupture, a crimson light surfacing from the cracks. She watched a thick bone-colored hilt rise from inside the earth. The bone white hilt turned into a wide pitch-black blade loosely wrapped in rust colored bandages.

As it fully emerged, Ciaran greedily gripped the handle, eyes gleaming wickedly, "Isn't it beautiful? It's called Ira, the Blade of Wrath." He swung it dramatically, tip suddenly facing Alex, "Come on, don't be so standoffish. I just want to play!"

The male abruptly charged for Alex, and she quickly slid Daithi from its sheath at the last second, their swords clashed with a wailing, stressed screech. He watched her irritated expression in amusement, "I guess I'm not the only one partial to dramatic entrances…Maybe we're more alike than you care to acknowledge…"

She growled, feeling an influx of heat pass through her body that the charm around her neck was emitting. Her skin began to crawl as the sensation of her boiling arose in her veins.

Ciaran's grin widened considerably, "Be careful about getting angry, or that thing'll break, and you'll be stuck with too much negative energy that can only be channeled one way…"

His grin transformed into a smug smirk as he released their weapons from their hazardous tangle, causing both of them to be pushed back several feet from the force.

"So, are you ready to dance?"

"Bring it."

Their swords crashed once more in a blur of black and silver, a long onslaught of elegant parries and blows resulting.

Beads of sweat trailed down Alex's forehead as she observed her opponent carefully. The fight had dragged out for at least an hour, but she had fortunately resisted the urge to trigger that gnawed away at her conscious.

Alex inspected the damage of the battle. Ciaran had dealt her one deep slash in her abdomen but no more. Thankfully, he had taken more of her swift slashes, but they weren't quite as deep as the one in her side was.

They allowed each other a moment's rest before they hurtled at each other once again.

As Alex and Ciaran eluded more of each other's potentially fatal hits, an intense wave of fatigue suddenly overwhelmed Alex, everything warping into strange shapes as she shakily dropped her weapon, muscles turning to jelly.

She stumbled forward when her muscles fully gave out, and Ciaran used this moment of weakness to thrust his weapon into Alex's gut, the momentum propelling the weapon and her into a wall several yards away.

The huntress coughed roughly as blood gurgled into her throat, feeling hatefully helpless. She was entirely immobile thanks to the icy numbness spreading through her limbs. Alex could barely even string together coherent thoughts, her mind so clouded over.

_'Where's…help…when you need it?' _

Ciaran was a little more than a blob as he sauntered toward the powerless female, stopping a little too close for the comfort of the faint female, "…I guess I forgot to mention that there's a toxin laced in those bandages. I'm terriblysorry."

He reached out to place his claw in the middle of her chest, and he smirked unpleasantly as he grazed over her collarbone and shoulder, the claw tips ripping into her shirt fabric and exposing her smooth, lightly tanned skin, "Well, aren't you just easy on the eyes_?_"

_'Sick…bastard…So dead…' _

Ciaran further closed the gap, only about two or three inches from pressing against her, and Alex glared weakly but viciously at her half brother.

He appeared vaguely thoughtful for a moment as he roughly clamped his claws around her jaw, and he leaned forward to barely nuzzle the side of her bloody lips. "And it doesn't help that you smell delightful as well…"

Alex growled half-heartedly as the poison took full affect, and she felt herself melt into warmth of unconsciousness.

Ciaran smirked viciously as the roar of a motorcycle rumbled in the distance, "It looks like I'll be getting a little extra action…"

_'Damn it, Alex, what were you thinking?' _ Dante rammed harder on the gas, willing the motorbike to accelerate to its limits. His hair whipped around his face, ears full of the whistling of the wind as it rushed through his ears.

His sharp eyes pinned themselves on the somewhat familiar old alleyway, sensing Alex's feeble presence. Not good. Dante then detected another. Even worse.

Dante cut a sharp turn into the alley, fishtailing in front of an odd male that slightly resembled Alex as he was leaning casually against a wall.

Said male lifted himself from his comfortable position on the brick wall and smirked at the crimson-wearing hunter, "Welcome, Son of Sparda. Here for Alexandra?"

His silver-blue gaze stared at the unconscious female stabbed into the wall, face contorted in discomfort, "Yeah, I guess you can say that. What's the catch?"

Ciaran smiled cruelly. "All you have to do," he began, strolling nonchalantly to the female and ripping his sword from Alex's innards, the woman giving a small cry of pain as she crumpled on the ground, "Is fight me. After that, she's all yours. You kiss, you shmoo; we all go home happy."

At the sight of Alex's mistreatment and Ciaran's indifference caused Dante's devil blood to stir in his veins, anger surging dangerously.

Despite his fury, Dante's calm expression could rival that of Vergil's, "Alright, you've got yourself a deal."

The two wasted no time attacking each other.

_A young girl with long, unruly hair, shy obsidian eyes, and clothed in a simple white dress stood alone in smothering darkness. _

_A tall, lean figure appeared from the darkness. Her fiery orange eyes glowered at the terrified little girl. The woman's skin was colored a sickly shade of gray, and her body was adorned with ominous, glowing tattoos and a single moth-eaten, tattered black cloth covering a decent portion of her chest, abdomen, and thighs. _

_She unexpectedly smiled at the young girl, but it was dark, oddly humorous kind of smile, and she extended her hand to the child, black claws oddly gleaming, "Don't you just want to let go?" _

_The child uncertainly glanced at the bizarre female and then back at her sinister claws, but hesitantly put her smaller, more delicate hand into the other's larger, calloused hand. _

_The child's dress color suddenly altered as she grabbed the other's hand, black irreversibly staining the perfect white as her body grew into a young woman…_

Alex's eyes snapped open, burning furious orange as the air crackled and popped from the oppressive, violet energy suddenly emerging from Alex's being.

Sickly gray flooded across her skin, the markings snaking their way to her face and the rest of her body, nails elongating and blackening…

The still-warring males quickly turned to survey this new commotion, their eyes landing on Alex as she braced herself on all fours, darkly snickering.

Alex disappeared into a shadowy cloud of ash before reappearing on the ledge of the building above them, arms above her head and hips poised seductively. She began to speak, a demonic voice mixing with Alex's, "**Ah, it feels so nice to finally be released," **her hands dragged tantalizing over her hourglass shape, **"That prison of flesh was starting to feel tight.**"

Her orange eyes landed on Ciaran as she relaxed her stance, smirking ominously as she extended her arm to the right, "**Take a rest, Dante. I'm going to finish what I started…**"

A red energy started to circle Alex's fingers like ribbons, and her sword hilt materialized in her fingers. Her sword began to transform; the leather weaved on the hilt turned burgundy as the blade turned black, and a thrumming, pulsing line of red-orange energy flowed from the cross-guard to the point.

Her now-orange eyes never left Ciaran's scarlet ones as she quirked an eyebrow, "**Are you ready to dance?**"

Ciaran smirked as Dante took a casual step backward to allow them some room. They watched Alex attentively as she vanished in the same manner as before.

Alex's half brother barely had time to raise his blade when her assault began; she raced around him in a black and purple blur, countless deep slashes impelling themselves into his skin. Numerous small waves of his blood splattered everywhere, but she was not finished.

Appearing suddenly behind his back, Alex powerfully speared her blade into the lower half of Ciaran's torso, forcing the metal into his left lung. He breathed in sharply and exhaled raggedly, quickly discovering that breathing was now painful.

In spite of this, Ciaran hissed heatedly as the devil-triggered Alex positioned her face in the junction of his shoulders and neck. The tip of her nose trailed up to his ear, **"My, aren't you easy on the eyes?** **And** **it doesn't help that I want to kill you either." **

She chuckled as she savagely tore the blade from his body, sadistically grinning in twisted pleasure as Ciaran fell roughly to his knees.

Blood spewed from his mouth as harsh coughs wracked his lungs. He looked up to Dante, grinning spitefully, appearing to have enjoyed himself. "It's been fun," he wheezed as he stared at his wounds, "but by the looks of it, I'm going to have take a rain check on that battle."

Before anything else could be done about him, Ciaran evaporated into a small spiral of black ash.

The transformed Alex smirked suggestively at Dante as she swaggered toward him, hips in a sensual sway.

He noticed how difficult it was to tear his gaze away from her as she returned to normal; her hair seemed to faintly float around her face before it settled to its usual messy way, and the gray of her skin now receded to her regular light tan. The strut in her step began to fade to a labored stumble as the violet markings in her skin slithered back to her shoulder, and her orange eyes flickered back to blank obsidian.

She halted to take one deep, exhausted breath before her eyes closed, and she began to descend toward the asphalt.

With a burst of demonic energy, Dante caught her in his arms. Her skin was burning with a very high fever, and sweat beaded down her face. Dante's gaze traveled to the large, shredded tear in Alex's shirt, revealing a wide, splotchy green line where Ciaran had stabbed her.

_'Poison…great…' _

He lifted her up bridal style as he somberly strode toward Lady's motorcycle.

_'She better be thankful for what I'm doing. This makes it twice I've saved her ass after she's passed out…' _

The sensation of cooler, calloused fingers brushed across her forehead. Alex's throat felt terribly hot and scratchy, and her skin tingled painfully, like many pins and needles were piercing her skin.

A voice broke through her muddled thoughts, "You've decided to finally wake back up?"

She struggled to open her eyes, and she was greeted with blurry version of Dante's face.

A small smile played on Dante's lips, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty."

She groaned when the tingling of her arm magnified as she moved her arm to place it on her brow. Did she mention she also had a real bitch of a migraine? Her voice cracked hoarsely, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days."

She quickly forced herself up when he said that, but pain swiftly ripped through her abdomen, making her regret moving.

Dante gently pushed her back onto the cushion of whatever she had slept on, "Whoa, not so fast."

Her vision was finally beginning to clear, and her dark eyes carefully inspected the unfamiliar room around her. It most certainly didn't seem to be the front room and office of Devil May Cry…

"Where am I?"

"You're in my room. We put you on the couch first, but after we figured out you weren't going to wake up any time soon, we put you in here."

So, that meant she was sleeping in Dante's room…in his bed. _'Ha, I feel __**really**__ weird now…' _

Lady briskly walked into Dante's room and smiled slightly at the sight of an awakened Alex, "So, you've finally graced us with your conscious presence."

Alex grunted unenthusiastically as she _slowly and carefully _lifted herself from the pillow, grimacing at the increase of fire and pricking needles in her body. Lady handed her a glassful of water, and Alex sucked it down appreciatively.

She nearly spat the water back out onto the sheets; it tasted positively _horrible. _

Lady's facial expression looked something between amused and apologetic, "I forgot to mention there's an antidote to that poison in your water…"

Alex regarded her sourly as she painfully swallowed the atrocious liquid, "Hm, that's almost what that bastard said…"

Lady rolled her mismatching eyes and strolled out of the room.

Alex looked over at Dante, "Did I get any calls?" She worried about the business calls. _More importantly, _she worried about her dear, spastic sister…

"Don't worry. The three of us took your missions while you were out. Your sister called twice. But we just let your voicemail pick up."

_'Oh, damn it; I'm in for an earful…Thanks, guys!' _

Her look became slightly suspicious, "What did you guys do with the money from the missions?" She didn't expect to get paid much, if not all, since she didn't complete them herself, but she still hoped they would at least give her some of the profit. Money had made itself scarce in her bank account, and bills had an interesting way of piling on…

His grin was slightly sheepish, "Well, most of it went to paying off my pizza bills, but it really won't matter after I give you this… "

He pulled a light brown envelope from his breast pocket, edges slightly bent, and Alex quickly guessed its writer: her sensei.

She took it from his fingers and ripped it open, scanning silently over the message.

_Hello, Alexandra, _

_For one, you can thank me for the antidote to Ciaran's poison, but on to other things…_

_I really hoped to discuss this particular issue with you beforehand, but due to recent events, neither of us have such a luxury. _

_Dante has already been consulted by me on this problem and he has agreed to my request._

_Therefore, you shall stay with Dante until further notice and train with him. You need to gain control of your devil abilities. If you do not, Cillian will tighten his grip on you, and we shall lose you forever. _

_And, NO, I will not take any objections. You will just have to deal with him in the meantime. _

…What? Wait, that wasn't fair! All that moving…

Dante smirked slightly, "Well, since you're going to be staying here, I might as well give you the grand tour. But the question is, are you capable of standing?"

Alex scoffed as she tossed off the covers, slid to the side of the bed, and pushed herself up, "Of course I'm capable of stand-"

Her knees buckled from under her, and she lurched into Dante's casually outstretched arms.

She glared into his oh-so-blue eyes, noses only an inch apart, "I _really_ don't like you at the moment."

He snickered as he wrapped her muscled arm around his neck, and he dragged her out of the room. Alex added to his burden by smugly allowing herself to be deadweight.

_'HA! That's what he gets!' _

Dante kicked open the door to the first closed-off room, "Well, this is the extra bedroom."

Alex studied the severely dusty, practically bare room. She glanced at the wall on the farthest end of the room. It contained no window, but sunlight shafted through the slightly grubby skylight, cloaking the floating particles of dust in a glow. All in all, it was a decent living space. She just hoped her bed would fit…

The other half-devil's voice interrupted her thoughts, "What d'ya think?"

"…I suppose it'll do…"

He just shook his head with amusement and continued to lug her along.

After that, he explained that one door lead to the office-type space, one door lead to the bathroom and the last door belonged to the kitchen.

Now she had gained some control over her legs, and she limped along with Dante still supporting her as they slowly progressed into the kitchen.

She stared at the disarray in the kitchen; stray empty pizza boxes, beer bottles, and moldy old pieces of food littered every imaginable surface, causing the place to reek horribly.

She crinkled her nose as she turned to gawk at Dante, "…You realize how unsanitary this is, right?"

Dante shrugged, "That's why I stay out of here…"

And groaned in exasperation as her head flopped to stare at the ground, and she then noticed the sad state of her clothing. If it wasn't torn, then patches of mud and grime were smeared into it.

"Dante…why didn't you tell me my clothes were in condition they're in?"

He shrugged again, "I thought it was a good look for you."

She eyed him flatly, "Thanks for the compliment. I'm gonna go to take a shower now."

He smirked, "You think you can do that by yourself?"

She snarled angrily, sarcasm heavily embedded into every word, "Of course not, Dante. Why would I even say that if I was able to?"

He chuckled, "Okay, feisty, if you think you can do it…"

She scowled at him, "And let go of me, if you don't mind. I think I've got enough strength to do it."

He grinned at her as he released his grip on her arm, and she stumbled a few times before her unsteady footfalls became stronger and firmer.

When she reached the bathroom, she turned blow a raspberry at Dante before she sauntered into the small bathroom.

After she locked the door, turned on the hot water, and peeled away her shirt and pants and tossed them in the trash can, she leaped into the spray of blistering water gratefully, gasping as burned its way down her back with full force.

Alex hummed a tuneless melody quietly to herself as she rubbed soap over her dirty-feeling skin, and as she rubbed down her belly, her fingers probed over a thin, ropey undulation in her skin. She stared at the disturbance, eyes widening in shock of the long silver scar. Never could she remember having a scar; all cuts and wounds would mend in a matter of seconds. That poison must have done more damage than she would have ever believed possible.

After she scrubbed off the rest of the grime and turned the water off, Alex carefully stepped onto the old tile floor and reached for one of the fluffy, newer-looking towels. She rubbed off all of the excess water quickly before she reached for her undergarments, sighing.

The bra was perfectly fine; you could wear it for a couple of days. The underwear? That's just gross.

_'Well, I guess I'll just get to find out if going commando's all it's cracked up to be…' _

Then she realized another vital piece of information; she had no other clothes to wear, since the ones she had one were torn in several places or dirty beyond repair.

_'Geez, I have such good luck!'_

Alex promptly wrapped the towel around herself completely, firmly tucking in the edge so that it would stay enfolded. She grasped the doorknob warily, twisted it to open the door, and eased her head out into the hallway.

Alex watched in slight surprise as Dante meandered into the hallway, wads of clothing clasped in his fingers.

He smirked at the dark head poking out of the bathroom doorway, "You need these?"

She eyed the crumpled appearance of the articles of clothing skeptically, but nonetheless, she pulled them from his clutches and disappeared back into the bathroom.

Dante waited boredly outside of the bathroom as Alex quickly yanked the too-large garments over her body on the other side of the wall.

As Alex emerged from the bathroom, Dante quickly noticed one of Alex's attributes that he hadn't seen yet. She had the _nicest_ pair of legs he had ever seen on a woman. And that was saying something…

He snapped out of his light musing to stare at the bored female in front of him before he brushed around her to walk inside of the bathroom for a shower, "They suit you."

Alex merely rolled her eyes, and she began ambling around in the hall aimlessly for a random door to walk through. She abruptly chose the door to the office of Devil May Cry, and Lady, who was propped on Dante's desk drinking a cup of green tea, casually turned to look at the slight disturbance.

She smiled at Alex, "Feel any better?"

"Yeah, I guess…Not to seem nosy, but where's Trish?"

Lady shrugged effortlessly, "Who knows? She comes and goes as she pleases."

Alex nodded in understanding, "Um, did you use to live here, too?"

Lady's expression quirked, "Yeah, how did you know?"

Alex tapped her nose, "Not to seem creepy, but the room still has a tinge of your scent."

"Well, if you stick Dante and me in the same room for too long, we tend to go for each other's throats."

Alex chuckled, the corners of her mouth twitching into a small smile, "I can see how."

"So, your master's forcing you to stay here? Dante told me about it."

Alex sighed morosely. "Yeah," she mumbled as she ran her fingers through her soggy locks, "He claims I need to rein in the devil in me. If I don't, let's just say I won't be such a friend to you guys."

Lady stared at Alex for a second, a thoughtful look on her pretty face, "So, you also have an evil, psychotic father that wants to open up the demon plane and take over the world?"

Alex retorted in amusement, "And did I happen to mention he's a full-blooded demon that uses sorcery, and he wants to release Mundus as well?"

Lady's slender eyebrows rose, "Well, I can't say I've had it to that extent, but I know where you're coming from."

"Yeah," Alex sighed as she plopped onto Dante's couch, "I'm guessing we all have screwed up family lives?"

Lady chuckled, "You can say that."

Alex slid forward as she propped her elbows on her knees, and she studied the room around her. Her obsidian eyes wandered curiously over the multitude of weapons displayed and buttressed on the walls.

"Are all of these Dante's?"

Lady glanced up from her fashion magazine to gaze at Alex, "The weapons? Yes, Dante's quite the collector."

Alex rose from her former position to stroll around the room, lightly fingering a few weapons as she passed them.

One sword caught her eye in particular; it was longer than a katana, and the scabbard was a glossy black. A yellow tie was secured on a gold ring, and thick, golden laces wrapped around the hilt. It was a simple but elegant weapon.

"Hey, Lady, what's this one called?"

Lady once more looked back up at the meandering female, "Oh, that's-"

A male voice emerged from the doorway, entirely cutting off Lady, "Yamato. The sword my father gave to my brother."

Alex nodded silently as Dante walked into the room, "I'm guessing that story is also pretty fucked up?"

Dante chuckled at Alex's choice of words, "Yeah."

The sound of "What's Up, People?" suddenly echoed from some place around the room, disrupting the thin silence that had begun to descend on the three.

Alex grimaced at the little cell phone resting beside Lady, imagining the full-on ear-thrashing she was going to receive, "Ah, crap…"

Lady tossed it toward her, and Alex caught it in her outstretched fingers. She slowly, carefully flipped it open and delicately placed it on her ear, "Yeah?"

Alex tore the phone away from her ear painfully as a loud shriek ripped through the speaker that would even put the loudest and most vocal Banshee to shame, "**OH, MY GOD, ALEX! WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED ME? I THOUGHT THE WORST HAD HAPPENED TO YOU! WHAT IN THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN TALKING TO YOUR OWN SISTER?" **

Alex sighed and closed her eyes, allowing her sister a few more seconds of rant time, "Lily…"

Her sister obviously had not heard her because her protesting screeches hadn't ceased.

"_Lily_…."

The raving continued.

_**"Lily," **_she growled.

This time around, Lily noticed Alex's angry, commanding growl, "Huh?"

"The reason I haven't called you is 'cause I've been catching up on some sleep, so I haven't heard your calls."

"…But you're such a light sleeper!"

"I left my phone in my living room."

"…You usually hear it."

"I just slept deeply this time, okay?"

Lily's tone sounded slightly suspicious, "Were you just ignoring me?"

Alex snickered as she imagined her sister's gray eyes narrowing as she said that, "Now, Lily, why would I do that?"

"Oh, quit with the sarcasm!"

"You know I can't do that."

Lily heaved an irritable sigh, "_Anyway, _'ya wanna go clubbin' anytime soon? I hear there's this really fancy club called Inferno, and I just happen to have some connections that could get us in…"

"The last time I went clubbing with you, I lost most of my dignity."

"Can't you just put that aside and get to what's important? Spending time with your dear sister should be what's important!"

"…No."

"Aw, come on! Don't you want to spend time with your sister that _loves you very much_?"

"Well, that sister only really loves me when she wants something."

"…I do not!"

"Do, too."

"Do not!"

"Do, too."

"I DO NOT!"

Alex chucked quietly, "Alright, Lily, I'll think about it, but I have something I have to do right now, so I'll call you later with my answer. Is that alright?"

"…Maaaaaaaayyyybe."

Alex shook her head in amusement, "Bye, Lily."

Lily huffed sulkily, "Fine, you meanie... Bye."

The two hung up about the same moment, and Alex pushed the small phone into the roomy, convenient pocket in the pair of baggy boxers she was wearing.

Dante looked up from his weapon magazine on the couch, "Babe, you have a weird sister."

Alex's palm smeared its way down her face, "You have no idea."

The old phone on Dante's desk rattled violently as it pelted out worn rings, but Lady made no attempt to answer it.

She gazed at Alex, "Since you're now an official employee, why don't you answer it?"

Alex shrugged as she snatched up the receiver and hesitantly answered, "Devil May Cry."

"Hello," a female crossly replied with a hint of a Russian accent, "I seem to be having a demonic issue, and it's ruining my business."

"Alright, where exactly are you located?"

"You should know where it is at, since it is very famous in this city. Inferno. And tomorrow night would be the best."

Alex frowned as the phone line died, meaning the woman had hung up on her.

"Well?" Lady quirked.

"It looks like we'll be partying tomorrow night."

One of Lady's eyebrows rose, "Where at?"

"Ever heard of Inferno?"

"Hm, have I. Mostly rumors of cult activity and weird deaths a few alleys away."

Alex's lips pursed into a scrunched, lopsided pucker, "Explains it."

Dante whooped, "Hell yeah! Hot chicks, demon ass-kicking, and booze!"

Alex's and Lady's fingers whipped around to face each other, but Alex beat Lady to voicing their thoughts, "You get to drive his drunk ass back."

Lady snapped her fingers, face contorting in disappointment, "Shoot."

Dante stared at them dryly, "I'm not that bad all the time."

Alex twisted to look at Dante, causing her boxers to swish on her hips and demonstrate to her how _airy _commando was. Ignoring the discomfort, she placed one fist on her hip, "Oh, and if you drag some hooker back, I better not hear any noises, or I'll castrate you."

Dante grimaced as he raised his arms in defense, "Whoa, sex is a two-way thing!"

Alex's facial expression became more concentrated, "…Hm, I guess I'll just do something painful to her, too… Like shove a tampon up her clitoris! Let's just see how pleasurable _that_ feels…"

Lady's full lips dipped into a frown, "Ow."

Alex cast a furtive glance in Lady's direction as she flipped her cell phone open and speedily dialed her sister's number, "Exactly."

A cheery greeting bubbled from the speaker, "Yo!"

"Yeah, hi…"

"So?"

"I've got a mission, so, yeah, I'm in."

"YES!" Lily shrieked, and Alex flinched as she quickly snatched the technology from her sensitive ear, "Oh, by the way, Sid's coming as well."

Alex shrugged, failing to remember that Lily could not see her, "More the merrier, I guess."

Lily squealed some more, and static sizzled from the other line that sounded like too much movement, "Well, I've got to go, sis, so I'll see you tomorrow night! Bye!"

"Bye."

As Alex closed the phone, a thought struck her mind.

_'I have absolutely __**no **__clothes…' _

"Crap," she muttered to herself as her hand connected roughly to her face, "How am I gonna get past that…?"

A smugly smirking Dante looked up from his magazine, "You need to get back to your apartment?" His slivery-blue eyes slid over to Lady, "Do ya mind?"

Lady shook her head without even glancing up from her fashion magazine.

Alex huffed, displaying her dissention as she tugged lightly at the baggy t-shirt she head loaned from Dante, "I'm not going all the way over there in this."

Dante waved a dismissive hand at her as he quickly tossed his magazine onto the table and rose from his position in one fluid movement. He walked toward a coat-hanger and tossed Alex his trademark red trench coat, "No problem."

Alex stared at it questioningly for a moment before she shrugged it on, her shoulders sagging under the unexpected weight of the jacket. She straightened herself up as she adjusted to the weight, and she quickly caught up to Dante at the doorway and slipped on her boots.

_'Ha, leather is really heavy…' _

The pair walked into the bright morning sunlight before Dante turned to inspect the now red-clad female walking beside him. He smiled devilishly at her, "Red looks good on you."

Alex grunted indistinctly as she trudged over to the parked motorcycle and plunked onto the seat, Dante momentarily sliding on the spot to the front.

While he revved the engine, Dante glanced back at Alex, "Hold on."

"Sure, yeah. I'm good at controlling weight with my thighs."

Dante smirked at the images that flashed through his mind's eye as they sped away.

Alex's angry shout would have been lost in the wind if Dante's hearing wasn't super-human.

"That wasn't supposed to be an innuendo, you jerk!"


	8. Fun Comes Before Work

**Disclaimer: **Devil May Cry belongs to Capcom and its creators.

**Rating: **Teen.

**A/N: **I'm really sorry! My Lazy-As-Hell Syndrome has raged out of control again…

* * *

Thankfully, the two half-devils rode to the apartment complex without a hitch.

Alex felt extremely overheated in Dante's heavy, thick leather coat, and she glared up at the mid-morning summer sun and began walking toward the stairway.

The huntress stopped as she reached the first flight of stairs, Dante halting questioningly beside her. Her dark eyes scanned the area around them, not a person in sight. _'Perfect.' _

Her lips pursed lightly as she glared at Dante challengingly, "…I'll race you."

Dante gave a light chuckle and a nod before he disappeared in a burst of lurid red energy.

She quickly bounded up the stairs, "Hey, that's not fair! I don't know how to do that!"

Alex snarled as Dante whooped in reply, _'Okay, think of disappearing…Disappearing, disappearing…' _She suddenly imagined herself reappearing in front of her apartment door, and with a strange warping feeling, she combusted into a cloud of dark mist.

She abruptly materialized in front of her door, her boots clunking loudly onto the cement walkway as she balanced.

Dante was still several yards away, silvery eyebrows raised in shock, and with that, he slowed his pace into a casual jog until he reached Alex.

Her face remained amazed for a few moments before her face transformed into a large grin, "I beat you…"

Dante's countenance deadpanned, a gleam of irritation is his cerulean eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get inside."

Alex snickered as she forced the key into the rusty lock and knocked it open with kick.

Once inside, the female kicked off her boots and gestured to her couch, "Take a seat; I'll be back."

Dante plopped on to her couch with a bored look etched onto his face, and Alex swiftly paced for her bedroom.

She locked the door as soon as she set foot in her room, and she eagerly ripped the boxers down off her hips, snatched up a pair of underwear, and slid the pair of boy shorts on. Alex sighed in relief, modesty intact once again, and she tugged off the shirt as she turned to stare at her drawers.

Alex randomly opened several compartments, groaning at their near-emptiness, _'Great. I'll have to wash laundry later…' _

The huntress pulled out a pair of dark wash jeans and her Seme kanji t-shirt her sister had bought her last Christmas, and she dressed in them quickly.

After she was satisfied with the room in her jeans, she strolled to her closet, pulled out a large duffle bag, and stared up at the articles suspended from hangers, her brows lowered in intense contemplation.

_'What to wear tonight…?' _

With a smirk, she removed her only mini-skirt and halter top from the their hangers, and she yanked her fancy, and _very_ expensive, knee-high boots from their place behind her many pairs of pants and placed them all into the duffle bag before returning to her drawers.

Alex indiscriminately yanked clothes and undergarments from the drawers and shoved them all into the bag until she was satisfied with the amount.

Dante sighed as he looked around Alex's relatively clean apartment before his eyes landed on her coffee table, which was filled with a few odd-looking books and magazines.

He picked up one of the smaller, thicker-looking books and opened it up, finding what he guessed was a comic book. Dante sat that one back on the table, and he reached for two other ones that peaked his interest, discovering a video game magazine and a car magazine.

_'Whacked-out comic_ _books, video games, and cars? I've met my share of weird chicks, but I think she takes the cake…' _

Alex quickly appeared from around the corner, large black duffle bag in tow.

Dante stood up and tossed the magazines back on her table, but before he had time to utter even a syllable, he was impaled by the heavy black sack.

"Be a gentleman and carry my bag for me. We have an errand to run before we go."

Dante balanced the monstrous bag in his arms, "Which is…?"

Alex snatched her car keys from her dining table before she answered him. "I have to inform the crazy bitch that runs this place of my merry move. So, let's get going."

Dante trailed after her as she swiftly padded across her floor to her door, shoving her feet into her boots near the door. She opened her door and allowed Dante out first before following him out, and she trekked forward to her landlady's apartment.

Alex stared at her landlady's door, inwardly cringing with the thought of dealing with the crazy old broad.

With a sigh, she pounded on the door with a good, solid knock.

A loud, muffled coo (screech) came from inside the apartment, "Oh, Sweetums, it may be your treats!"

Dante's nose wrinkled slightly, "Who's Sweetums?"

"The annoying broad's even more annoying Chihuahua…"

The door swung open, and a small dog charged from the apartment, yapping as if she thought she was menacing.

Alex merely stared down at it, one slender eyebrow raised, and upon catching this, the small dog immediately shrunk in size and tucked her tail to run away, but she only collided with her owner's leg.

"I hope you have my order read- Oh, it's just you, Ramsden…"

Alex smiled sarcastically, "Oh, yeah, just me."

The old lady's ugly, wrinkled face creased suspiciously, "What in the hell do you want? I've got things to do."

"I've come to tell you I'm moving out."

Her eyes lightened up considerably, "Oh, good…Now I can _really _rent it for some profit…When are you going to move out?"

Alex rubbed the back of her neck in thought, "Probably within a week or so."

She rubbed her hands together vigorously, "Even better. Means I can go ahead and advertise it in the newspaper!" Her eyes traveled upward with glee, only to meet Dante's face.

Her eyes flickered with a trace of lust, "Ramsden…are you going to introduce me to your friend back there…?"

She glanced to stare at a horrified Dante, her lips quirking into a small smirk, "Ms. Blackburn, this is Dante. Dante—Ms. Blackburn."

Her overly-lipsticked lips cracked into a gleeful smile, "It's very nice to meet you, Dante!"

Dante nodded hesitantly, "Likewise…"

"Well, Alex…" Ms. Backburn began, placing her hand on Alex's arm, "Why don't you come in? I've made cookies…"

Alex nearly laughed at her landlady's antics, since she never called Alex by her name unless she wanted something, and she had a pretty good idea of what… "Thank you, Ms. Blackburn, that sounds_ lovely_."

She gestured Alex and Dante in, and she lingered as she touched Dante, hand dangerously close to his buttocks.

"You two make yourselves comfortable while I'll go get the cookies from the kitchen," Ms. Blackburn tittered as she waltzed to the kitchen, voice heavy with false sweetness.

The hunters plunked onto the couch, only to sink dangerously into the much worn cushions.

Dante glared at Alex as he dumped her bag on the floor, expression utterly scandalized, "You didn't say anything about her being a freakin' _cougar_…"

Alex clasped her hand over her mouth in mock surprise, "I'm sorry. The thought didn't even cross my mind…"

Dante slumped sulkily as he crossed his arms, lips in a boyish pout, "That just wasn't fair…"

Alex shrugged airily, and her landlady reentered the room, tray of what appeared to be chocolate-chip cookies in hand.

With a flourish, she placed the plate of cookies in front of Dante on her coffee table, motioning for him to grab a cookie, "Don't worry; my cookies are very good…"

Alex suddenly wondered if she was implying another, more suggestive meaning, and she mentally slapped herself for listening to her dirty pervert of a sister…

Carefully, Dante plucked a cookie from the small pile, took a bite, and slowly chewed.

The older lady took a seat dangerously near Dante, crossing her legs seductively, "So, how do they taste, honey?"

Dante nearly shuddered when she called him "honey", but he remained calm as he bit into the cookie again, "They taste good. Thanks."

She giggled, "Oh, you're welcome!"

Alex only rolled her eyes and stealthily seized a cookie from the plate, earning a miffed look from her landlady.

Again, she rolled her eyes and chomped into her own treat, and surprisingly, the cookie was actually very delicious. With that decision, she gnawed down the rest of the sugary baked good.

Ms. Blackburn smirked, leaned into Dante's muscular arm, and murmured pleasantly,

"Would you like some more?"

For Dante, it was the last straw; he jerked away quickly, feeling slightly (but barely) guilty at Alex's landlady's faintly hurt look. Boy, did he have to come up with something and _quick! _

Dante quickly transformed his expression into a look of genuine sorrow, "I'm sorry, Ms. Blackburn, but I just can't return your affections."

She stared at Dante incomprehensively for a few moments before retorting intelligently, "…What?"

He wrapped his arms around a totally oblivious Alex's waist, "I'm afraid my heart belongs to someone else." For extra effect, he buried his face into her neck, and Alex's obsidian eyes widened considerably, cheeks staining a barely noticeable shade of light pink.

The old, evil hag muttered a small "Shit," and she tapped her long, claw-like nails against the fabric of her jogging pants, creating a light scraping noise.

A crooked smile strained across her face, "Well then, kids, visiting hours are over. Now get out of my sight."

Dante (reluctantly) released his grip on Alex, and they both sighed with relief as they shot from their seats and hastily scrambled out of Ms. Blackburn's apartment.

The two bounded down the stairs in a hurried fashion, glad to be rid of the creepy old woman.

They reached to bottom of the stairs, and Alex glanced over at Dante, "Let's _not _do that again…"

Dante nodded his concurrence, "Agreed."

They paced to Alex's car, which Lady's motorbike was conveniently located by Alex's beloved vehicle.

She walked toward the driver's side of her Mustang as Dante seated himself comfortably on the bike's seat.

Dante called, "Oh, so you're going to drive?"

Alex stared questioningly at the keys in her hand, "That is my intention, yes."

He simply chuckled at her sarcasm and responded, "You know, I'm really going to miss how your hair somehow gets into my face..."

She smiled cynically as she opened her car door and poised to enter into the interior, "And I'll miss your dangerous, reckless driving."

Dante smirked as she climbed in and started her engine, and Alex admired how nicely her "baby" purred.

The half-devils quickly maneuvered their way out of the parking lot and into the street, gratefully speeding away.

* * *

Again, the hunters reached Devil May Cry without too much of a fuss…Except the fact that they were caught in a terrible traffic jam for nearly two hours…So, by the time they reached the office, it was nearly five.

Alex clambered out of her exterior and quickly treaded to where Dante currently stood, his bright azure orbs admiring his building.

One dark, slender eyebrow rose, and Alex gave the old structure a bland once-over.

"You know what?" Dante questioned, his eyes shifting to stare at the dark-headed female.

She mumbled, "What?"

"I believe a game of tag is in order."

The huntress remained silent for several moments, the statement attempting to process fully, "…What?"

Dante grinned devilishly, "Yep." His fingers rose to her forehead, hesitating for a moment before he gave her forehead a firm thump, "And you're it."

He vanished in spout of energy, leaving Alex in a questioning daze.

Her obsidian eyes narrowed in challenge, and she popped her knuckles threateningly, "Alright, buster, if you want to play that way, that's fine with me…"

With a smirk, she disintegrated into a plume of filmy, tar-colored dust.

Alex melded perfectly with the dark shadows, vigilantly scanning the alleyways for Dante. In the past hour, she had discovered the ability to fuse with the darkness of the alleyways. She was just an _absolute genius! _

Her dark eyes flickered to a source of new movement and a flash of familiar white appeared, unaware to her presence.

She pounced eagerly.

Her momentum caused Dante to crash into the pavement head first. After he recovered from the initial shock of being discovered, Dante turned to lightly glare at her, revealing scrapes and scratches all over his cheeks and nose.

A smirk graced her full lips, obsidian orbs glittering in amusement, "You're it."

She evaporated away, the only trace of her appearance being scrawny fragments of gloom.

He sighed as he rose from the rough asphalt and dusted the filth of off his clothes, "Okay…you're on."

* * *

For some odd reason, Alex had the strong urge to sing something along the lines of "Imma sneaky ninja!" as she slunk around the general vicinity of Devil May Cry. She _really _needed to stop listening to Lily so often. It was apparently killing her brain cells.

She carefully stepped around a corner, eyes examining the space around her. It had been about forty-five minutes since she last sensed Dante's presence, and it was absolutely, _positively_ driving her nuts.

More than anything, she wanted to scream to the top of her lungs, "Damn it, Dante! Where are you? Come out and catch me, you idiot!" But that would be very stupid on her part. No, Alexandra Ramsden wouldn't lose to the likes of Dante…did he even have a last name? She just decided it was Sparda.

And then it hit her, if the great dark knight had been called Sparda, so when he came to the human realm, couldn't he have been called Sparda Sparda?

….She _really, __**really**__, __**really**_needed to stop listening to her sister.

She shook her head to clear away the utterly absurd thought, and then her scalp prickled.

Alex was being watched. And that presence…

The huntress didn't even have time to complete her though when a heavy body came crashing down on her shoulders, somehow forcing her down on her back.

She exhaled sharply as the weighty load _sat _on her stomach, and she blew away the dark, messy hair that had settled in her face.

Dante leaned in to grin at Alex, eyes gleaming with arrogance, "You're it, sweetheart."

He vanished, leaving Alex bewildered on the hard pavement.

A growl escaped from her throat as reality beat her with a stick, eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

Okay, this was really starting to get on her nerves!

* * *

Ha, ha. He was _so _not going to get caught this time. He was just **BRILLIANT.**

How did the term go? _L-O-L. _

Dante strutted around on a building roof, defeating even the most proud peacock with his cocky swagger.

She would _never_ think about searching for him on the roof of Devil May Cry!

Apparently he was wrong.

A blur of black collided powerfully with his chest, the two of them crashing roughly just before the door of Devil May Cry.

Dante found himself face-to-face with a very aggravated Alex, her knees straddling his hips and her nails digging painfully into his neck.

What was the term? _OW. _

She could have kicked a Sumo wrester's, no, _Chuck Norris'_ ass with that tackle…

Her lips curled into a sneer, exposing freakishly long canines, "You're it, bitch."

…_Oh, no, she just did __**not**__ call him that! _

Dante snarled and thrusted forward, knocking Alex onto her back. Now he was the one that had Alex in a stranglehold, eyes glowing viciously. "Who's the one that's it now?"

Alex's irises suddenly burned a shade of bright orange, and with a roar, shoved Dante into his last position, "That would be you!"

In a strange change of events, the two meshed together in a tumble of flailing limbs, fists and legs attempting to do damage.

They wrestled around for what seemed to be forever before they ended up in an exhausted heap.

The half-devils both gasped for air as they halfway untangled their arms and legs, neither of them bothering to shift from the dangerously close proximity.

Dante finally caught his breath, "Okay, we can stop now."

For some odd reason, both of them laughed, even if it was a weak.

Alex gazed up toward the now-orange sky. Wow, had they been fighting it out for this long? They still had work to do! Then she noticed how slimy she felt, and she wrinkled her nose, "Great. Now we have to take showers."

Dante snickered, "I call first dibs."

"No fair."

"You're just mad 'cause you didn't think of it first."

Alex rolled her eyes, but she didn't bother to retort. She sighed as she slowly pulled herself up off of the still-warm pavement.

They had a long night ahead of them...

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, I'm just now noticing how perverted that fight sounded... XD (It wasn't my original intention...I don't think it was...)

**REVIEWS FOR THE REVIEW WHORE, PLZ. **(Or I'll be forced to beat you with a spatula...)

* * *


	9. Fight for Your Right to Party

**Disclaimer: **Devil May Cry belongs to Capcom. Just be glad _I _don't own it. ;D

**Rating: **PG-17—could get a little violent…

**A/N: **OH, MY GOODNESS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVELY REVIEWS. They always manage to make my day better. :D

_"The price you must pay for free music is time." - Morgana Coleman _(my very awesome friend)

…This is what happens when your friend gets a song stuck in your head and convinces you to download the entire soundtrack from a free downloads website. XD

**Key: **

Lyubov- pronounced "lyoo-BOF." Of Russian origin, meaning "love."

After they peeled themselves off of the rough pavement, the hunters stumbled into the cool interior of Devil May Cry, gratefully gulping the fresh air into their deprived lungs.

Dante sauntered to the bathroom for his shower while Alex decided to officially check out her new bedroom.

She started to walk to the door to the living space of Devil May Cry when she suddenly remembered her bag full of clothes that lay abandoned outside, so she quickly paced back into the heat of dusk for her sack.

Alex finally lugged it into her dusty little room and opened her new closet door, only to be attacked by a flurry of trapped moths and billowing clouds of dust, and she coughed and sputtered in surprise.

She wheezed a sigh of irritation as she tossed her sack in the closet for later and pulled out the garments she had planned on wearing later that night.

The huntress strolled to the middle of the living space, surveying every square inch and arranging where everything would be placed. She only had one doubt in her mind; how in the world was her bed supposed to fit? Sometimes she really regretted buying such a behemoth of a bed…

A deep, smooth tone broke through her fretting, "Hey, babe. I'm done now."

She turned to stare at the half-naked male leaning in the door frame, clad only in a pair of nicely-fitting black jeans.

...Suddenly, she realized just how nice and toned Dante was…

_'Bad, bad fangirl!!' _

Alex made a noise of disapproval in the back of her throat as she snatched her clothes from their hangers, "You're such a whore; you know that?"

Dante looked dramatically taken aback, "I am not. You could be undressing me with your eyes for all I know…"

A dark eyebrow rose as Alex evenly met Dante's azure eyes, "Sweetheart, you wish." With that, she passed him by and began her trip to the shower.

Alex stared irritably at her soppy locks, having forgotten her blow dryer and extra, _extra_-strength gel.

_'Great…' _

She growled, dismissed the thought, and turned to yank on her clothes. After she adjusted her skirt to her decency, she turned to gaze at herself in the mirror, a vain smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

_'I'm just so damn hot sometimes…' _

She chuckled at her own conceited thoughts, unlocked the door, and stepped out into the cooler hallway, a loud, sweet voice filling her ears.

Humph. The little stinker didn't even call to warn her that she was coming.

The huntress stepped out into the cooler hallway and strolled toward the front office of Devil May Cry. Lily's voice magnified as she entered the large, cluttered room, and three pairs of eyes landed on her.

Two blurs of black and brown squealed with delight and nearly barreled Alex over.

"Hi, guys," she mumured flatly.

The two giggled as they clung to her midsection, their syllables dragging, "Hiiiiiii, Alex!"

She rolled her dark eyes and peeled the two off of her, and she felt her skin tingle with a too-intense gaze...

She looked over to Dante, a suggestive smirk on his lips and his eyes on her rear end.

He gazed at her, not a trace of shame in his eyes as he grinned, "Nice skirt, babe."

She stared down at the clingy material that adorned her hips, admiring the intricate little patterns, "I know, right?"

The two other females rolled their eyes at the exchange, and Lily clapped her hands together. "Alright, are ya' ready to go? I plan on getting on the floor e_arly_, k' thanks."

"Yeah, let me grab my boots."

"Oh, yeah, just to let you know, you're driving..."

Alex's eyes narrowed on her younger sister, who gave a nervous grin in response. "...Fine. Bee are bee."

"Okay!" her sister twittered happily, latching onto Sid in the process.

She returned a minute or two later, boots covering her legs up to her knees in all their hardcore glory.

Lily's eyes glittered with admiration, "Oh, wow! Alex, those are _such _cool boots!!"

Alex sighed in irritation, "Lily, you went with me when I bought these..."

Her face turned blank for a moment, "...I did?"

Alex's palm collided with her face, a exasperated sound bubbling from her throat, "Yes!"

Lily's eyebrows furrowed in frustration, lips shrinking to a soured pucker, "...Oh...Damn it, why do I always forget?"

Alex patted her sibling's shoulder comfortingly, "You have a short attention span, sister dear."

Lily's face contorted in irritation, and she stuck her tongue out at her sister.

Alex's obsidian orbs rolled at her sister, "Alright, peeps, let's get this show on the road."

She turned to glance at Dante, "Weapons?"

He smirked and picked up his beloved instruments of destruction, "Way ahead of ya', babe."

Sighing, Alex picked up her odachi and guns from a place near Dante's couch.

Sid questioned, "...Um, guys? What's with the pointy, sharp things and the things that go boom?"

The pair of hunters glanced at each other, since Sid did not know a thing about who they were and what they hunted.

Alex retorted, "Let's just say that we have a _very _special job to do...You know...bounty hunting type-thing?" Well, their job was kinda like that anway...

Sid looked a little creeped out for a moment, but she hesitantly answered, "...Okay. Just make sure those things aren't near me..."

The corner of Alex's lips tugged into a minute smile, "Don't worry. They'll be in my trunk."

Sid silently wondered, _'I wonder what else could have been in her trunk…' _

Anyhow, The brunette slowly smiled back, nodding slightly, "Okay."

The four of them stood abreast in front of Inferno's doors, the night air burning fierce shades of sanguine and ginger. The air gyrated with a heavy, gothic beat, and many people stood in lines, clothes dark and eye makeup heavy.

Dante chuckled as he strapped his weapon that was cleverly hidden away in a guitar case, "Kinda seems like hell, alright."

The two younger females' expression quirked at Dante's comment, but Alex's lips twitched with a smirk, fastening Daithi around her shoulders and chest.

The four walked to the beginning of the line where the bouncer stood. His attire was rather unusual; instead of a nice, crisp suit, a tight black shirt accentuated his very muscular torso, and he wore black cargo pants and large combat boots. The male's head was slightly bowed, causing his messy haircut to shield his eyes.

Lily bounced up to the large guy in her usual fashion, a happy little grin settling on her face, "Excuse me…"

The guy's head snapped up, revealing deep vermillion orbs that gazed intensely at Lily.

Alex felt a flash of ice race down her spine all the way to the tip of her toes. Something was off. So terribly, horribly off.

Lily instantly flushed at his extreme look. "Um…I'm Lily Landseth, and-"

The bouncer completed her thought, "Ah, yes, Miss Lyubov informed me of you and your friend. Go on in." He grandly gestured them in, causing both girls to giggle and skitter inside.

His strange, entrancing eyes glanced over coolly to Alex and Dante. "And you two must be the hunters Miss Lyubov hired. Go on in."

They nodded and strolled nonchalantly inside.

Alex winced as she walked into the wild atmosphere, the dark, eerie music overwhelming her sensitive ears.

"Was it just me, or did that guy give you the creeps?" Dante murmured in her ear, taking notice of her obvious discomfort. (Deciding also to get a little closer…Hee hee, he was so awesome! It just made him want to fangirl over himself!)

She rolled her eyes at his oh-so-subtle attempt at flirting but answered, "Wasn't just you. Something's not right about this place."

"Good thing whatever-the-hell-her-name-is called us…She's got some serious problems around here."

Alex shook her head and was about to reply when her two other companions appeared from the mass of writhing bodies in the middle of the dark floor.

Lily grinned and did a little dance, "Oh, there's so many pretty men on the floor! Alex, you have to come dance with us!"

Sid jogged up beside her bandmate, her expression similar, "God, yes!"

Alex gave an obnoxious snort, "No, no, no. Alex is going to get _drunk enough _first, then she'll possibly join you."

The pair of females blew out exasperated breaths.

Lily turned on her heels, "Alright, suit yourself."

Alex shot off for the bar on the far right, and Dante sniggered and followed after her.

She plopped into a seat and was about to order herself a nice glass of vodka when she noticed the bartender had the same pair of vermillion eyes as the bouncer.

Her eyes narrowed over-so-slightly before she announced, "Vodka. Straight."

The delicate female gave her a strange smirk, "Coming right up."

Dante smoothly slid into a seat beside her, "So, what exactly do you have against dancing sober?"

She accepted her glass with sullen acknowledgment, "…I hate crowds. And loud music. And people touching me."

One silver brow rose into a high arch as his lips pulled down into a grimace, "Jesus, you sound like my brother. The reclusive bastard."

Alex shrugged easily, a smirk adorning her full lips, "Well, I _am _reclusive bitch."

Dante leaned back in his chair, "Well, if ya' hate all this, why come?"

"Well, Lily would pester me until I died, and I like alcohol. It's an excuse for me to drink myself silly."

"So," Dante began with a suggestive grin, "…What's the worse thing you've done while drunk?"

Alex's visage transformed into a look of flat skepticism. "Well…I think I can remember pole-dancing once…"

Dante's grin grew to titanic proportions. "Hm…I would have liked to have seen that…"

Alex snorted with amusement, "Heard I was pretty good, too."

Dante coughed pointedly, "Well, damn, I wish I could've been there…"

The huntress only shook her head and finished her glass of alcohol. Although, something tasted very odd about her beverage, but it was something she couldn't quite put her finger on…Whatever it was, it tasted sweet…

The most handsome male Alex had probably ever seen appeared next to her like liquid from the crowd and settled gracefully into the stool beside her. Alex was aware that she was openly gaping, but, somehow, she didn't care. He stared at her with his cool, vermillion eyes, and her brain buzzed with what seemed like a thousand moths fluttering jaggedly in her skull. The only thought that surfaced from her confused haze was the animal desire to _have him. _

He smiled seductively at her, causing the buzzing in her head to intensify so much that it hurt. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Automatically, her lips began with a "yes," (and it could have been a "oh, _hell, yes_") but Dante's smooth, silvery baritone chased away some of the dancing fuzziness, "Sorry, but she's dancing with _me_."

She vaguely remembered him gently gripping her forearm, standing her up, and escorting her to the floor. But she remembered the furious look of the horribly beautiful guy as he dragged her away.

They mingled into the twisting crowd, and the smear that had encompassed her mind shattered. Alex grabbed at her viciously throbbing temples when reality bore back down on her.

With her eyebrows furrowed in pain, Alex glanced up to stare Dante in the eyes, "…Thanks?"

Dante shrugged nonchalantly, "No problem. Just making sure ya didn't eat his face off. That's what you're supposed to do to me…" His eyebrows wiggled like silver caterpillars above his eyes.

Alex's dark eyes narrowed dangerously, the corner of her lips twitching with barely controlled irritation.

Dante's arms rose quickly in retaliation. "I kid; I kid!! Geez, woman! Can't you take a joke?"

"No."

Dante sighed dramatically. "Then you're just no fun."

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Oh, frickin' well!"

Dante looked playfully insulted, "Oh, you just didn't do that."

"Oh, looks like a just did."

"You're just mean, you know that?"

"It's a lifestyle choice."

Their teasing banter was interrupted by a horrific, blood-freezing scream. An icy lead block settled heavily in the pit of Alex's stomach as she suddenly became painfully aware of the multitude of red irises in the building, their gazes burning with bloodlust.

Her dark gaze flickered over to the silver-haired male beside her, who looked just as alarmed.

The odd thing was no one else seemed able to hear it…

A chill licked up her spine once again, and her eyes instantly landed on a sort of hidden exit into a heavily-shadowed alleyway, through which two gorgeous men were leading her entranced companions.

Alex blindly grabbed for Dante, and she successfully latched onto what she though were fingers. She wrenched him forward as she shoved her way through the crowd and to the door.

The huntress only halted after she emerged into the humid evening air. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and both she and Dante grabbed for their swords reflexively.

Two figures surfaced from the darkness of the alley, their very red eyes gleaming eerily in the feeble moonlight.

Alex growled furiously as she drew Daithi with a sharp, foreboding ring. She hissed at the figures, her voice husky with rage, "I ought to hack you two to pieces here and now."

One of the figures straightened, a cynical chuckle rising into the summer air, "If you do that, you will not find your two companions alive. You shall follow us to The Circle."

Blithe smiles overtook their pale faces, and they lurched forward toward a strange cavity in a wall.

The opening led into a path that led to a crumbling, abandoned edifice.

The sharp, metallic smell of blood wracked Alex's nose when they emerged into the dark building. A few small candles lit the center of the area, where a group of cloaked figures stood around a bloody pentagram.

Looks like they walked into a summoning.

Alex's sharp eyes caught sight of Sid, who was lying in a pool of dark liquid staring blankly into space.

She inhaled sharply and dashed to the profusely bleeding female, Dante close on her heels.

A foreign voice rang out in the deadly quiet room. "Welcome, Son of Sparda and Daughter of Cillian."

Alex realized the accent was Russian. The woman who had called her…

Sid stirred faintly and stared up at Alex, her eyes momentarily flickering with recognition. She quietly called to the huntress, her voice hardly more than a whisper, "Alex?"

A wild whimper sounded throughout the room, and a shout followed, "ALEX!" She was located at the spirit point of the pentagram, bound and utterly terrified.

_Lily_.

A low, animal growl erupted deep within Alex's throat, and the pendant chained to her neck began to heat up. "_What in the hell do you want with my sister_?"

A sweet, hollow giggle came from the woman, "We need her... She has been chosen to become a sacrifice."

Those last words chilled Alex.

With a flourish, her arms were raised high above her head as she addressed the other members of the cult. "Brethren! We all know that our last few attempts to call our goddess have failed. Few have what it takes to be chosen by our beloved deity."

She paused to remove an ancient tome from her large sleeves, and she opened it to a marked page. "Let us now summon her to this place!"

The congregation broke into guttural hisses, and a pocket of impenetrable darkness appeared in the center. The air became oppressive with evil energy.

Alex's head lowered, her bangs covering her eyes. "Dante?"

His cerulean eyes flickered from the clamor in front of them to the huntress, "Yeah?"

"Make sure to stop me if I lose control."

Dante chuckled quietly, "Plan on losing control, babe?"

She gazed at him through her bangs, a glow of orange already underlying the black. "Hell, yes."

She smoothly and swiftly drew one of her nine-millimeters as a wild cackle exploded from the dark cloud, and she adroitly shot one of the cult members in the head.

As the corpse crumbled to the filthy floor, Alex appeared in his or her place, her eyes already glowing an unnatural shade of orange.

The shreds of dark materialized into the form of a woman, her naked body floating gently to the ground. Her long, raven locks fell around her shoulders as her vermillion gaze fell hungrily on Lily.

_"Ah, my food. How nice." _Her head whipped around to stare at Alex. _"And my challenge! Excellent." _

An angry smile twitched on Alex's lips, "I'm your challenge alright."

A sneer-like grin appeared on the demoness' face, her eyes narrowing into slivers of vermillion.

She quickly brought up a pale, slender arm, and the shrouded figures gasped as bright spheres light left their chests, each dead member collapsing to the floor.

She sauntered toward Lily's bound form and roughly grabbed her chin. "_Now what to do about this little poppet_?"

Fat tears glided silently over Lily's as the she-demon's long, black nail raked into her skin, leaving behind a long, heavily weeping gash.

The demoness' smug grin broadened substantially, her face appearing to nearly crack in half. "_Shall I devour her soul now_?"

White-hot anger ripped violently through Alex's gut, causing her fists to tighten so much that she heard her bones creak from the force.

_'Let go…Release me!' _a rasp female voice in the recesses of her mind whispered desperately, straining with crazed eagerness.

She slowly paced forward, shoulders squared into a predator-like stance as she came into closer contact with the evil creature in front of her. "I have a deal for you," she began in a low, hoarse growl, her voice melding with the malevolent being that haunted her conscious.

The demoness' head cocked to the side, an amused sort of curiousness surfacing in her bloody gaze. "_And what should that be, half-breed_?"

Alex's lips curled into a snarl at the insult, revealing quickly budding canines, but she continued with her covenant, "If you release my sister, I will battle you. If you win, you can have my soul instead."

Lily thrashed wildly in the other woman's grip, "Alex, no!—"

"_Don't _even think about changing my mind, Lily," she muttered harshly, drawing Daithi from its sheath on her back.

The demoness licked her lips thoughtfully as her stare clearly sized Alex up. With a few moments of thought, she released her rough grasp on Lily. "_Yes, your soul would be much more satisfying…So, shall we begin with proper introductions?_"

Alex glanced back at the unusually silent half-devil behind her, "Dante, get them to safety."

He smirked, gently picked up Sid, and appeared beside Lily, whom he snatched up quickly. With a flash of energy, he disappeared again.

The demoness chuckled wildly, her pallid figure hovering high into the ceiling. "_I am Lyubov, the Soul Stealer!" _

Her form transformed into a strange demonic bird, its decaying body consumed by dancing green flames. She gave a horrible, howling cry, and she dove toward Alex.

Alex merely smirked, "I'm Alex, the bitch who's about to make you _PAY!!_"

The crystal around her neck shattered entirely, and Alex screeched demonically as black marks encased her body. Energy flooded from her being, the air screaming from its sheer weight.

Lyubov's razor-sharp claw attack was instantly stopped by the cutting edge of the newly-transformed Daithi, its blade humming and throbbing with energy.

The large, hideous bird shrieked in absolute surprise. "_You! You're —" _

Orange eyes stared coolly at her, a smirk adorning her coal-colored lips, "**One of the seven abominations, just like you? But then again, Master never favored you as much as me…" **

She wailed terribly, her ghastly body thrashing about in the air wildly, "_You lie! How dare you!_"

A blazing sphere of violet energy flared in the deep gray fingers of the infernal creature that had possessed Alex's body. Her smoldering eyes grew wide with excitement, a wicked grin dominating her face. **"Then why did Master leave you to rot away in Hell?" **

Lyubov screeched and swooped in low for another attack, but the demoness hurled the energy, striking Lyubov squarely in the chest cavity.

Her flight instantly halted, and her dolorous screams shook the building as she crashed into the pavement, her momentum giving birth to an enormous crater.

Blood rushed from multiple lacerations carved into Lyubov's skin as she slowly crawled from the crater, appearing to be something the cat dragged in. The most noticeable and alarming of the wounds was the one in her chest. The gaping wound gushed blood and pieces of bone, and her heart was nearly disintegrated. Nonetheless, muscle, bone, and skin weaved back together to restore the weakened demon some of her strength.

Lyubov snickered weakly, raising her now crimson arm. The shape of her arm flowed like water and molded into the shape of a large broadsword. "_Let us end this. Prepare to die!_"

The other demoness' lips curled into an amused sneer. **"You think that you can defeat me, Flann, the seventh and final abomination, the Beginning of the End? Just for that insult, you're dead." **

The two clashed with a great clamor, the air seemingly shredding around them. They hacked and sliced viciously, Flann's swift and deadly strikes beating into Lyubov much faster than she could wield her heavy blade.

She opted to change her strategy, and her broadsword transformed into an okatana. Lyubov's blows became much quicker, and soon she was able to parry Flann's constant battering.

The battle ensued for a while longer with no clear champion.

Flann's short fuse was quickly burning away into nothing, her anger rapidly becoming a ticking time bomb. With a great, furious cry and a fierce thrust into Lyubov's wrist, she severed her hand from her forearm.

Lyubov's instant reaction to her pain allowed Flann to shove Daithi into Lyubov's damaged chest, causing Lyubov to buckle.

Two shadow doppelgangers rose from the darkness of the building and plunged their dark blades into Lyubov's torso, causing her to cry out feebly in pain.

She shuddered greatly, hacking up large amounts of red liquid. Lyubov slumped on the floor, defeated. "_You have conquered me. Take my soul and use it as a vessel of destruction." _

She closed her eyes and became still. With a bright flash of light, her corpse transformed into the shape of a dark, supple cloak covered in intricate swirls and symbols. A shape-shifting cloak, one that evolved at its user will, transforming into any manner of things and gifting the user with the abilities of the object.

Flann snatched it as it floated gently in the air, a smug smirk adorning her lips. **"That was just too easy…" **

She snarled as she sensed a familiar presence lurking in the shadows. _Him. The one that her stupid container seemed to adore. _Ugh, it sickened her to no end. How she wished she could rip his face off. Her Master also despised him, which made it worse. And he was the horrid offspring of a long time rival…

"Hey, Alex, why don't you come back?" he called quietly.

**"Shut up, fool,"** she spat, **"She is not coming back. I will not allow her. Her body was given to me to be a vessel, so I may come back and once again wreak havoc on this idiotic world."**

He chuckled arrogantly, "I don't ever remember her telling me that…"

Flann mentally fought against the soul that battered our violently in her subconscious, screaming her protest. _'__**Let. Me. Out!!' **_

Her muscles screamed with agony as Alex began to exert her control once again, her conscious forcefully being repressed.

She screeched angrily, claws tearing at her temples and cheeks. **"NO! This is my body now!" **

The dark possessor collapsed on her knees, hands clutching her head.

She growled at her container's smug sense of contentment. Her shoulders bunched up as Alex's force grew on her.

She saw boots smoothly make their way to her, and slightly calloused fingers gently gripped her chin.

_His_ hands gently turned her face up to face him, his eyes burning with determination and his lips in a cocky smile. "Alex's still there; I can see it in your eyes."

Those last words were all it took for Alex to complete overwhelm the creature that possessed her, and she gasped as she was locked away into her subconscious prison.

Alex slumped into Dante's hands, panting heavily.

"I think that's the first time you've called me Alex without me having to force you," she wheezed, laughing weakly.

She passed out in his arms, exhausted.

Alex woke up on someone's strong back.

_'What about Lily and Sid?' _

She gasped worriedly and instantly perked up to look around. Her head was instantly wracked with dizziness. She clutched her forehead.

Dante's blue eyes glanced back at her, "You okay, babe?"

She noticed Sid lying quietly in his arms, konked out. Lily was firmly attached to his arm like a leech, gray eyes wide with fear.

"Lily," she murmured, and her sister instantly grabbed her left hand.

She smiled lightly and laid her head back on Dante's shoulder.

"Hey, Dante," she whispered.

The half-devil glanced back wordlessly.

"Thanks for bringing me back to the world of the living…" A sarcastic little smile twitched one the corner of her lips.

He smirked slightly, "Sure."

A mischievous thought entered her brain, one that was guaranteed to baffle Dante.

"Dante."

He looked back again, and she placed a small kiss on the side of his cheek.

He grinned goofily, his thought writing itself on his visage.

"No, Dante, this does not mean I will make out with you later."

He huffed sadly and turned his head back around.

She snickered and placed her chin in the crook of his neck.

The world once again went black.

Okay! Here it is. I have figured out I cannot write fight scenes to save my life. XDD

_**!!Important Message!!— **_Okay, I am going to discontinue writing up this story _at the moment. _I'll come back…eventually. I have school and band and football games and other things, and my poor brain is so fried that I can hardly function. I can't write fanfiction for you guys like I want to…

I'LL BE BACK. _I PROMISE_.

REVIEW! I'll be forced to hunt you down and beat you into the consistency of paste if you don't. ;D


	10. Sudden Appearances

A pale, slender figure gazed down from his perch on top of the imposing stone building, surveying the lively city streets below him. The gentle fall moonlight seemed to make his fair hair and skin glow, granting him an otherworldly appearance.

He was back. After all this time, he was finally back in the human realm.

His icy blue eyes rose to the streets on the other side of the large metropolis. Now, all he had to do was find the idiot he reluctantly called his brother.

Pain fiercely pounded Alex's brain into mush, a constant phrase becoming a regular throb in her temples now: _Let. Me. Out! _

What was now her room was entirely silent. A fresh wave of pain flooded over Alex's senses, causing her to curl up into an even tighter ball in her bed sheets.

Damn….Damndamndamnmdamndamn.

Alex vaguely recalled the days events. First, she woke up that morning. It took no more than fifteen minutes for her severe migraine to commence once more. She retired back to her bed a few hours later, once Dante so sweetly stated that she looked pretty crappy. One by one, the rest of the hunters embarked on tracking down devils that had somehow wormed their way into the city without her. Alexandra Ramsden, the great demoness, defeated by a mere migraine. It was absolutely disgraceful.

She closed her eyes wearily, Flann forcefully exhausting Alex's resolve to stay awake until her comrades returned. Alex allowed herself to sink deep into the warm, comforting darkness.

Alex abruptly awoke in a great start, her skin crawling with dark anticipation. Someone was here. That someone's presence was so alien but so familiar at the same time.

Stealthily, she slunk out of her bed and grabbed her odachi, Daithi, from its prop on her dresser. Still in her pajama pants and loose tank top, she cautiously snuck through her slightly-ajar door, skulking into the hallway and shielding her presence.

What greeted her as she peered into the front office and living room of Devil May Cry was very unusual. A tall, stately man with a taunt, haunted face was staring intently at the cluttered, slightly messy living space. His coat was severely tattered, but Alex could tell it was once a glorious cerulean overcoat with a slightly raised and elegant collar. His pants were torn in several places and coated with gore and filth, and his formerly fancy boots were brutally worn through. With a practiced sweep of his fingers, he brushed his shaggy bangs out of his face, revealing piercing blue eyes.

She nearly gasped and gave away her position, but she regained control of herself by clenching her jaw closed. Alex would have dismissed this strange display as Dante being "just frikkin' weird" and playing dress-up, but the gleam of this doppelganger's eyes told Alex an entirely different story.

She quickly melded with the liquid darkness of the shadowed hallway, easily slinking around the shadows of the front office and pooling into the stranger's shadow. He appeared not to notice her, but his frown alerted her of his suspicion.

Within an instant, she reformed into her normal shape, sword drawn and poised to strike. Her sword met his awaiting palm, its sharp blade easily slicing into flesh.

His fingers were soon coated in crimson, but his icy gaze remained on Alex, not once wavering.

Alex's full lips curled into the beginning a snarl, her eyes hardening into a harsh glare. "Who are you?" she demanded furiously.

His thumb slid contemplating up the sharp edge, blood quickly beading out of the incision before it completely disappeared. "Is it not customary for one to introduce oneself before asking any questions of an other?"

Her fully-developed snarl revealed quickly lengthening canines. "Hi, I'm Alex, the psychobitch who's going to fillet you if ya' don't start talkin'." She finished her pleasant introduction with a mocking smile.

A challenging smirk rose in the corners of his lips. "Well, Alex, let's see if you can possibly figure out my identity."

He disappeared out of sight for a moment, Alex already switching into defensive mode.

With a great clamor, their swords met, both blades harmonizing a tune caused by the pressure of their blows.

Alarmed, Alex glanced at his blade, her eyes widening a fraction in surprise. Yamato.

Abruptly, realization struck Alex like a baseball bat crashing into a glass window. Dante's brother. Vergil, Lady had once mentioned to her. But that was the only information she had revealed. It was taboo for them.

Alex growled fiercely, their swords merely blurs in the air now. "_Dear Jesus in Heaven_… _Please _tell me you aren't like Dante."

His visage became a picture of disgust. "The only resemblance that I bear to my brainless brother is his face, and even that pains me."

Vergil had found a minute opening in her defense, his blade leaving a small nick in her forearm, which healed pretty much instantly.

She smirked at him, commenting sarcastically, "Oh, that's _so _much of a relief, I could kiss you. Too bad I have to do something about you."

A smug sneer adorned his face, "But can you keep up? "

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Try me."

Alex nimbly charged toward the other son of Sparda, his blade greeting hers. Using some of her reserved energy, she vanished into a scraggly cloud of shadows, preparing to deal her opponent a devastating helm splitter.

She was beginning to reappear when a terrible pain ripped through her conscious. Flann was beginning to tear through her body's defenses, smugly asserting her control over Alex's mind.

Yamato impaled into Alex's abdomen, a small, triumphant smirk settling into place. _'Just too easy…' _

Fierce violet energy ruptured from her still form, the air crackling wildly from its weight.

He watched with mild surprise as the deepest, darkest black flooded across Alex's olive skin. Strange, colorful symbols wormed across her flesh, dancing erratically before completing odd little patterns.

The sound of long nails scrabbling across metal suddenly grated on Vergil's acute hearing, his eyes flickering from the weird display to the thin, wraith-like hands currently wrapping themselves around Yamato's blade.

His gaze traveled upward, meeting the feral orange eyes of Alex's possessor. She grinned maniacally at the male, revealing sharp teeth tainted incarnadine. **"Hello. I don't believe we've met?" **

"Ah, so the mystery of this world never ceases," Vergil commented, smirking calmly.

"**I'm sorry, boy, but I'm going to have to teach you a lesson about tearing up my container." **

Her figure wavered and disappeared entirely, blood splattering all over the floor.

Vergil calmly turned on his heel as Alex, now Flann, descended upon him, blade fully transformed.

The devil smirked as she hovered in midair, **"Good, boy. Let's see how you handle the rest…" **

Long, feminine shapes twisted out from his shadow, and they impaled him with their shadowy weapons, his blood cascading out of multiple wounds.

His void expression never faltered as they retracted their blades from his abdomen and chest cavity. "I believe it's my turn now."

Bright flashes quickly appeared over her head, molding into the shapes of swords. They hurtled toward the floor at Flann, glowing brightly.

She nimbly flipped out of the way, one barely grazing a lock of her wild hair. Impressed, she nodded her head. "**How nice. My turn!" **

Energy swirled around her hands and feet, forming shapeless gauntlets of pure force. With a smirk, she surged forward, slashing at every inch of Vergil she could claw at.

Expertly, he warded of most of the slashes. He stabbed forward with his blade, catching the demoness in the shoulder, but not without her claws digging deep into his face and nearly breaking his nose.

The force of their blows pushed them backward several feet. Their wounds mended as they stood to full height, analyzing each other.

Flann winced as Alex attempted to shove her out of her conscious which a large amount of force, her arms twitching as Alex sought for control.

Vergil smirked arrogantly, "It would be a pity if you're starting to wear out…"

Flann flashed him an infuriating grin, balling her fists and reasserting her control. **"You must excuse my container. She's very unwilling to submit. Fortunately for you, though, I'm just getting started." **

Dante sped through the quickly darkening streets on a conveniently stolen motorbike, a tune murmuring in his brain to block out the loud roar of the wind. Right now, all he really wanted was a nice shower and some food.

Who knew that the demons he had to exterminate were the really ugly balls of goop, and they exploded violently the first time you even poked them? They can't expect him to remember every single kind of devil there is. Geez.

He was thanking every sort of deity he could think of when the street to his beloved building zoomed into view. His little parade was instantly destroyed when he came a few meters from Devil May Cry, the air lamenting with the suppressive force of a devil trigger. The….whatever-it-was that possessed Alex's being was obviously getting down….And another presence…one that should have been dead and long forgotten was inside the perimeter of the building, alive and kicking.

Could he just not _stay dead_?? Dante had seen him die _twice_. Man, this was getting old.

Dante jammed on the brakes, sliding into a screeching halt before the doors. He unsheathed Rebellion and strode toward the doors, preparing to kick those suckers down.

Time for a family reunion.

His large, thick boots slammed into the old, creaky doors and effortlessly knocked them off of their hinges, revealing the blue and black blurs that danced in the middle of the hardwood floor.


	11. Strange Occurances

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Devil May Cry. It belongs to Capcom and its other respective owners.

**Rating: **PG-17. Some very foul language.

**A/N: **Enjoy my craptastic-ness! ;D

* * *

Alex stood in the middle of an ancient stone room. Runes and glyphs danced and snaked all over the walls, giving the room an ethereal glow. A tall, handsome man emerged from the shadows, his golden eyes twinkling with admiration as he spotted her. His fiery hair almost seemed to flow around his slim, pale face in a wild, untamed halo. His lips split into a face-breaking, jack-'o-lantern grin.

"Well, I knew there were supposed to be beautiful women in Cillian's bloodline, but _wow_!" he swooned, pink cutely staining his cheeks.

He circled her, his strangely colored eyes greedily soaking in Alex's…assets. Her eyebrow twitched noticeably as he moved closer, his hand reaching out to touch her lips.

In an instant, her fist collided with his nose, and the strength of her punch forced him into the wall twenty feet away.

The male stirred sluggishly in the large, gaping crater, his quiet moans reaching Alex's acute ears, which caused her to smirk in satisfaction. He groaned as he rose from the rubble, hand clasped over his nose. "Okay, I get it! No hitting on you!"

Her smirk only grew wider, amused by the slight irony of it. "Really, genius? What gave it away?"

His eyes narrowed irritably. "Har, har. Actually, I didn't come here for you to beat the crap out of me."

She sighed tiredly. Man, she really wanted to take a shower right now. "Then exactly what did you come here for?"

His nose had healed quickly for some odd reason, and he dusted the grime off of his cloth armor outfit. "To introduce myself, of course."

Alex's smirk faded away into a puzzled frown, her eyebrows furrowing into bewilderment.

The strange male's countenance transformed into a look of utter shock. "How could you not know who I am?? YOUR OWN DEVIL ARM, WOMAN!!!!" His arms flailed around violently before he slapped his hands over his face, clearly fake sobs roaring through his throat. "It's an absolute disgrace!"

Her frown grew. Geez. He was more obnoxious than Dante. And _that _was saying something. _'Then again, who is he? Devil Arm…? OH.' _"…Daithi?"

Daithi abruptly uncovered his face, his eyes gleaming with absolute joy and his face in a grin. "You know me!!" He lunged for her, arms outstretched.

_SMACK _

At this rate, he was going to be _well_ acquainted with those walls…

"Alright, I get it! No hugging you, either!" came the muffled yell.

She smirked and crossed her arms, triumphant once again.

He peeled his face from the wall and popped his neck joints back into place. He glanced at her, his eyes dulled by his pouty, hurt look. "Another thing. I came to warn you."

"About what?"

"As you know, there are seven abominations that Cillian created. I was one, but let's just say I was the problem child. Lonan is one, as well as , whom you defeated. Your possessor, Flann, is one as well. She was the most notorious out of all of us by far. If you don't hurry up and learn how to control her, or otherwise destroy her, she will take you over. Then, she and Cillian will overrun the portal and release Mundus. Even though that son of Sparda defeated him and left him practically powerless, he still has enough left to do some lethal damage. Cillian will also loan him as much of his power as he can spare, which will make him even more dangerous."

Alex nodded, her brain slowly digesting the information. One piece in particular stuck out the most. "…You said something about destroying her?"

Daithi's unruly locks bobbed as he nodded. "Yes, to destroy her, you need to locate her Sphere. That's what gives us life. That's how you destroyed Lyubov. Her Sphere was in her chest, and that energy blast destroyed more than enough of it to be unable to sustain her. Mine is right here." He placed his hand just below where his belly button was located.

Alex blinked a few times as she soaked up more of the information. "Wait…how did you know I killed Lyubov that way?" She glared at him suspiciously. "You _better _have not somehow probed my brain…"

He smirked at her comment. "Remember? I was there." He looked away from her and stared at the wall, his eyebrows lowering as he concentrated. "The only thing is, Cillian would have made it very difficult to locate Flann's Sphere. He probably placed it somewhere that could kill you when he did that horrible thing to your mother…"

Alex grimaced at the thought. "Anyway, how could he do that? Place it where he needs to when I'm little less than an embryo at the moment?"

"He knows how to lace DNA how he wants to. It's very dark magic, though. A part of alchemy that is even forbidden to high-level devils."

Alex's eyebrow rose, skeptic at one word. "Alchemy?"

His golden eyes flickered toward her, "It's the Devil's science, of course."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Duh…"

The corners of his mouth rose at her comment. "Also, you need to talk to it to your master. He needs to teach you a few more things."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Like what? He's even told me I've learned all I could from him battle wise."

He smirked and tapped his temple. "Exactly. Battle wise, woman. He's got a lot of knowledge packed into that brain of his."

She heaved a large, burdened sigh. "…Why does this sound like a plot out of a really bad fan fiction?"

Daithi coughed pointedly, "Because it is…"

"What?"

He quickly grinned and giggled nervously, realizing his _huge_ mistake and nearly getting himself killed by yours truly. "ANYWAY! Just go to him. He's still has quite a few tricks up his sleeve."

He stood up and grinned wolfishly at Alex. "So…I'll be keeping in touch!"

His palm collided with her forehead, and she shot into a very bright light, shouting in anger and surprise.

Alex remembered waking up on a cushy surface in mid-shout, her eyes shooting open wide in fury. She shot up from her position on the something, and pain grappled at her forehead.

She clasped her hand on her throbbing head, swearing viciously as she did. "That stupid fucking bastard! I'm going to fucking _destroy_ him!"

The furious huntress suddenly noticed the two rather surprised males that seemed to have been previously glaring daggers at each other.

"If I told you," she growled threateningly, "I would have to kill you. And don't doubt it, either."

She abruptly stood up and stalked off to the back, leaving the sons of Sparda to contend with each other once again.

Vergil stared at his brother for a silent second. "…You know, Dante, all these years I thought Lady always had the most formidable temper. It seems, though, my opinion must be changed."

Dante grinned suggestively. "It's sexy, ain't it?"

One thin brow rose on Vergil's statue-perfect face, his lips pressing into a thin line. "You never change, do you?"

His younger twin smirked challengingly. "What's wrong with the way I act?"

The elder merely stared at him. "It's rather distasteful."

Dante smirked at his brother. "So says the Ice Queen."

Vergil sighed and closed his eyes in irritation. "Do tell, dear brother, how I am an _ice queen_?"

His smirked grew into an impish grin. "Let's see…You brood like an emo kid…You act like an asshole to everybody and everything…and you give us all the cold shoulder, Dr. Freeze… Did I mention you also walk like you have a stick up your ass?"

Vergil glared viciously at his oh-so-behated brother. "Would you like me to shove a sword up yours?"

Dante's face nearly cracked in half as his grin grew. "Bring it, bro!"

* * *

Hot water slid down Alex's back, instantly relaxing her back and shoulders. She groaned in absolute euphoria. Man, did that feel nice after being in a hell of a lot of pain.

Alex rinsed away the suds in her long hair and allowed the flow of water to further melt away her weariness_. _Begrudgingly, she turned of the water and grabbed her towel. After she scrubbed herself free of excess water, wrapped the towel around her body and tucked the corner in near her armpit.

And then it happened.

A tremor of strong energies collided in the air around her, warping the atmosphere fiercely and seemingly knotted it into a mass of barely breathable air. A great clash followed, the ringing of swords, and loud enough to overload Alex's sensitive hearing and cause her jaw to throb violently.

A deep growl surfaced from deep in her throat, and her fists clenched. Her eyes flickered a strange shade of orange. "If I'll be damned…"

Her figure exploded into a intense accumulation of energy and shadows, furthering warping the air.

* * *

Dante and Vergil expected their swords to clash again, but they were somehow prevented by an implosion of black and violent.

The haze of energy materialized into a humanoid shape, revealing Alex. Her hands were stained by crimson, the edges of their two blades biting deeply into her flesh.

"Let's get one thing straight, boys…" She glared at them in turn, Dante to Vergil, with so much venom that their brains froze mid-thought. "This isn't going to be happening again. Because if it does, Death won't be able to help you because I'll resurrect you several times and torture you. And I'll make sure to make it ten times worse than Hell."

It was silent for several minutes, the brothers contemplating whether completing their battle would even be worth thinking about.

Dante's suddenly processed what Alex was _wearing. _That one little towel finally revealed to him the beauty of Alex's form. She was rather busty, with slim arms and a slim waist, and long, shapely legs. Now, if she'd _only _take of the towel off…then everything would be complete.

"Dante, if you keep thinking what I can practically guarantee your thinking about, I will shove Rebellion so far into your face, you'll be able to see who _made _it."

He grinned. "Yes, ma'am!"

She scowled fiercely, released her fierce grip on their swords, and skulked off once again.

Dante snickered as he plunked into his desk chair and propped his feet up.

Vergil gazed quietly at his brother as he sat in chair several yards away, slightly miffed by his first time of being so vehemently threatened by a female. (Most women just give him one look and run away, which was the way he preferred it. But, _no, _not this one.)

"You know, Dante, those creatures you love so much will one day kill you."

Dante chuckled, "Being killed by a bunch hot women doesn't sound like a half-bad death, actually."

Vergil just sighed and commenced glaring holes into the ceiling.

A few minutes later, Alex reappeared from the back, fully dressed in gray cargo pants, a plum thermal top, and High Tops.

Dante glanced up from his weapons magazine, his interest piqued. "Hey, where are you going?"

She sighed, grabbed her car keys and gun belt, and strapped on her guns. "To the see the old man."

Dante nodded in understanding and looked down at his magazine again. Alex glanced irritably at the mess that lay scattered across the recently polished floors. (She had _just _cleaned that room, damn it!)

The late-afternoon air rushed into the building as Alex yanked open the old double-doors. "Oh, and would you guys mind cleaning up in here while I'm gone?"

Translation: You guys _better_ clean up while I'm gone.

Dante's cerulean eyes never left his magazine. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

She passed through the doors and closed them, vanishing from sight once more.

Vergil's eyes burned through Dante's skull. "Did you just hear what she said?"

Dante glanced up at his brother and grinned. "Nope!"

May the Lord have mercy on Dante's soul.

* * *

Alex finally arrived at her master's old, secluded little bungalow. Her master was already waiting outside his door for her, a smile creasing his wise face.

She quickly scrambled from her car's interior and greeted her long-time teacher and friend with a quick hug and a happy grin.

Her tutor's storm gray eyes glittered with amusement. "So, I'm guessing you finally met Daithi."

Alex snorted. "Ha. Meet isn't exactly the word."

Her master ushered her inside with a chuckle. "I can only imagine. Now come. There is much to be revealed and discussed."

As she stepped into the building's interior, her tutor set about pushing furniture off of his large antique area rug that lay in the middle of his living room.

The huntress eyebrows furrowed in recognition. "Something about that rug always made my skin crawl…"

Dragomir clasped one of the threadbare rug's edges with his long, thin fingers. "Really, now? Well, I'm afraid that sensation is about to get ten times worse."

She gasped when he ripped the rug from its place on the floor, revealing many strange symbols and designs. A fierce wave of fiery tingles lashed over her skin and sunk quickly into her blood. Her body felt like a raging inferno.

He stared at the incoherent female, jaw clenched, body hunched, and eyes blazing orange. "I'm sorry, dear. Those are wards to prevent demons from entering because, if they ever got their hands on some of this, the entire world would be in get danger. Since your half-human, it will allow you to enter, but not without some difficulty first."

And somehow, there she was, dragging her feet across the barrier, pain viciously clawing at her and her breath labored. She sucked in a grateful breath as Dragomir cast the iron-and-salt-coated trap doors open.

They descended into the deep darkness, and occasional lanterns would ignite themselves as they passed to brighten their passage. A stale, leathery smell wafted into Alex's receptive nose, which caused her nose to wrinkle up at the unfamiliar smell.

Two massive lanterns burst into flames as they entered a corridor, revealing a lengthy, thin room and a towering ceiling. It almost gave off the feeling of warped space.

"Alright, Alexandra. Welcome to The Nowhere. You're going to find some things in here that are _very_ useful."

Her eyes traveled over the boundless shelves of ancient tomes that inhabited the strange room. "…Why is it called The Nowhere?"

Dragomir smirked at her. "We're in the middle of two dimensions. Warp space, in other words."

She nodded, impressed, and continued to glance around the massive amounts of knowledge.

Her teacher closed his eyes and whispered something to himself. An odd sensation drifted over Alex as he did this, and she watched closely as he randomly chose a large, crimson volume from a shelf about eight yards away from her.

He strode toward her quickly, his eyes gleaming with seriousness. "Alexandra, this book is going to be your new best friend. If you wish to contend with your father on the battlefield, you are going to need to study this as much as you possibly can. And find some guinea pigs. Dante should do the trick."

Alex smirked sinisterly, her brain calculating many sadistic exercises that she could inflict on the other half-devil.

Dragomir stared at the conniving female, rapidly becoming rather disturbed. "Pretend I just didn't say that."

A dark chuckle slithered from Alex's lips as she took the volume from her master. She fingered the embossed designs that erratically littered the cover, contemplating the contents behind the cover.

Abruptly, Alex's back pocket erupted into vibrations, and she leapt into the air with a yelp.

She yanked it out of her pocket irritably, muttering. "Oh, yeah. I can't get the damn stupid thing to get service in some places, but it gets some in between mother-fucking dimensions?? Perfect!!"

Her master sighed at her terrible use of the English language. It was enough to make a sailor blush profusely.

"Hello??" she answered irately, scowl scrawled onto her face.

"Hi," answered the smooth, feminine voice of Trish, "It seems we have a mission large enough that requires all of us."

Alex's interest in the tedious phone call grew. "Oh, really? Where at?"

"In a growing city named Acantha, about a six hours' drive from here. That place has always been crawling with demon activity. We're being called back, it seems. And we're leaving in about forty-five minutes."

Alex's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Please do not blame it on me. Dante's ready "to rock," as he says."

"…His ass is mine."

Alex could feel Trish's smirk over the line. "Looking forward to it. See you then."

"Yeah, see you." She shut her phone closed.

"A small detour?"

Alex heaved a sigh. "Yep. Mind me visiting sometime later?"

Dragomir smiled warmly at his prized pupil and pat her on the shoulder. "Not at all."

Quickly after the phone call, they paced back up to the surface and bade each other goodbye.

Alex waved at her master and started up her car.

Another mission.

How lovely.

* * *

**REVIEWS FOR THE REVIEW WHORE, KTHNX?? **


	12. Lazy Day

**Disclaimer: **I don't own or take credit for the creation of Devil May Cry or its characters. All I own is the characters and places that aren't in the games. Got it memorized?? ;DD

**A/N: **Thank you all for the lovely reviews!!! x33 If I would glomp you all if I could get a hold of all of you~! :3 (Okay, sorry for the delay. Been having a total brain fart with this.)

* * *

Luckily, Alex reached to shop with fifteen minutes to spare. She burst into the building and raced to her room, but not without burning imaginary (unfortunately) holes into the face of a very sheepish Dante first.

With inhuman speed, she yanked up a few pairs of undergarments, shirts, and pants and shoved them to her conveniently located duffel bag. She shoved the volume that was under her arm into the bag, and snatched up her guns and her newly-acquired devil arm. For good measure, she shoved in her bathing suit, _just_ in case the hotel they were staying at had an indoor pool. Or a hot tub. A hot tub sounded quite nice.

Satisfied that she had packed was fitting for her mission, she strapped on Daithi and quickly strode into the main office.

Upon entering the main office, she noticed that everyone was packed except Vergil, who it appeared was staying behind to watch the shop.

She turned just a fraction of a centimeter, and she was suddenly staring into a pair of alluring ice-blue eyes.

"…Oh, hey, can we use your car to get there…?" Dante asked, a nervous grin hovering on his lips and a hand sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

His grin shrunk drastically as Alex's eyes narrowed drastically. Finally, she closed her eyes in aggravation and sighed. "Fine, whatever, Dante."

His grin instantly grew, and he patted her shoulder gratefully. And as quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared out the door, whooping enthusiastically. "C'mon, babes, let's rock!!"

"Vergil, your brother has the mind of an eight-year-old."

He pinched the bridge of his thin nose. "And to think, he's actually improved…"

A shiver ran down the three females' spine. It was very hard to imagine Dante being worse than he was now…

As they lugged their gear into the trunk of Alex's car, Lady nudged her. "And this is a very important point Trish forgot to mention, but…the mission requires us to dress in formal wear…"

Alex visibly froze. "How formal are we talking?"

"Ball gowns. Our client is hosting a masquerade."

The half-devil whimpered pitifully, "Oh, no…"

Lady patted her shoulder. "I'm sure the masquerade ball won't be all that bad."

"It's not that," Alex groused, "It's just that I _really _hate wearing dresses…"

Lady nodded sympathetically and patted Alex's shoulder again as she climbed into the back seat with Trish and Alex plopped in the driver's side.

Dante strutted out of the shop much like an obnoxious rooster, a grin adorning his face. "What? I don't get to drive your car?"

Alex glared venomously at him as he slid into the seat beside her. "A word of advice, Dante. _Don't _touch my car, and you'll live to see tomorrow. Possibly."

* * *

--

They all stared at the beautiful, colossal brick hotel in front of them.

Dante glanced at a note in his hand. "Well, this is the address the guy gave me."

Alex muttered, "Dude, this is, like, five star material…"

A smirk danced on Trish's full, rosy lips. "Hmm…I'm sensing a spa, here…"

Lady sighed blissfully, "A massage sounds in order right now…"

Alex grinned as she spotted a building that housed the indoor pool and hot tub. "Hot tub!!"

Dante pumped his fist into the air. "Hot chick in a bathing suit!"

Alex's onyx eyes glared holes into Dante's face. "You aren't going with me."

Dante snapped his fingers in disappointment. "Damn."

"Anyway," Trish began, "Let's go ahead and get to our room already!"

The four hunters could finally agree on something, so they all scrambled for the door, eager to find their awesome room.

* * *

–

Once more, they stood in awe of their roomy, gorgeous _suite. _Not only a suite, but the _presidential suite_, complimentary of their client.

Alex really wanted to know who the heck this guy was, so she could _marry _him. He was loaded, it seemed. _Really_ loaded.

The "presidential suite" came complete with two sizable rooms with two huge, cushy beds in each room, a gigantic bathroom with a jacuzzi, a living area with a very large HDTV, and a kitchen with a mini bar.

Whoa, right?

As soon as they walked into the suite, Trish dropped her bags and said, "I call a room with Lady!"

"Damn it, Trish, that's not fair!" Alex wailed, arms flying into the air.

She tossed her long, golden hair behind her shoulder. "Better luck next time, I guess."

Dante looked a little miffed at Alex. "I'm not _that _bad, ya know!"

The only reply Dante received was as Alex's slim eyebrow rose skeptically rose.

He sighed and followed the other women to the bedrooms.

Hearty laughter bubbled pleasantly in the room as Trish and Lady eagerly pounced into their beds, testing their squishiness.

Lady sighed in elation. "Now _this _is a bed!"

Dante's sharp eyes followed Alex's very lovely behind as she quietly trekked into the room they were going to share. (He's a guy for Christ's sake, what else do you expect him to look at if she had that nice of an ass? Seriously!)

He rolled his eyes at the other females' giggles and followed after Alex. The huntress wordlessly plopped on the bed and lazily stared at him with those darkly sexy eyes of hers. "I know I have a really nice ass an' all, but I would appreciate it if you would stare at it less."

Well, damn. Woman had eyes in the back of her head. All that hair of hers could definitely cover them up, so it was very possible...

"And, no, I do not have eyes in the back of my head."

"What the hell?! Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Raping my brain!"

Alex snorted. "Dante, your face is pretty much an open book."

"...Oh...Well, I wouldn't have minded brain rape _that_ much..."

The other half-devil chuckled. "What if a guy raped your brain?"

"Well, then...I would have minded."

She just rolled her eyes, a small smile dancing on her lips, and she rolled over and dumped her bag on the floor.

Well, hell. Something Dante didn't see every day. A smile instead of a smirk or a grin or a frown. Alex's face pretty much stayed just blank all the time. Something she did better than his nerdy, emo-y, Ice Queen of a brother. He mainly looked all pompous and stick-up-his-ass-like. She just reminded him of a white piece of paper...Or, more like a black piece of construction paper, given her hair color and clothing choice.

"Oh, Alex! We need to go gown shopping!" a sickly sweet voice taunted.

Alex shot up quickly, eyes wide with fear.

She pouted at Dante pitifully, vaguely resembling a kicked-puppy. "Help."

Dante smirked. "Oh, come on, the great Alex scared of a little dress shopping?"

Alex scowled at the other hunter. "Shut up!"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I might as well tag along and get a tux or whatever myself. What do you think of me dressing up as Vergil?"

She sighed. "You'd need to shave that icky stubble off first."

"What's wrong with a little stubble? It makes me ruggedly handsome," he gloated.

"Tch. It isn't even the color of your old-geezer hair. Makes me think you bleach it."

He tussled her already-messy hair. "You're just jealous because you hair isn't this beautiful shade of pristine white."

She swatted his hand away with a half-frown. "At least mine looks natural."

"At the angles your hair sticks up at?"

Alex glared viciously at the grinning half-devil. "My nose at least doesn't look _huge_."

"My eyes aren't the color of sludge."

"I'm not the one with granny boobs between my legs."

"No, they're just on your chest."

"Ha. My boobs are still quite full and firm, thank you."

"Mind if I test that statement out?"

"Touch them, and I will castrate you with my bare hands!"

"Alright, guys, break it up! We have stuff to buy and not a lot of time to buy it." Lady hissed, grabbing the pair by the arms and snatching them out of the room.

* * *

–

Her torture chamber had finally vanished behind the thick, metallic veil of cars.

After being subjected to trying on what seemed to be thousands of dresses, Alex finally chose a strapless, open-backed indigo dress that swept the floor. It was simple without a lot of ruffles and lace and embellishment. Hell, if she had to tear off most of the skirt-thing, it wouldn't be very difficult. Thankfully.

Of course, Lady and Trish cooed over her like a old ladies would over cute little babies. Ew. And it didn't help that Dante finished early and decided to entertain himself by watching and making perverted comments.

Stupid Dante. It was nearly enough to make her bash his pretty face in. Except it wouldn't make him stay dead. Damn it.

They finally were able to return to their lovely, beautiful, awesome suite. Suddenly, Alex thought of Daithi. And an impish smirk crossed her face, eyes gleaming with mischief.

Why not introduce Dante to Daithi?

She watched with malevolent delight as Dante plopped down on his bed.

"Hey, Dante."

Dante's face rose from the shapeless mass of squishy pillows. "Yeah?"

"There's somebody I want you to meet."

* * *

–

Dante wondered what the hell he had gotten to when he followed Alex into the dense forest just outside of Acantha.

"Hey, babe, why exactly are we going out in the middle of nowhere to meet whoever the hell we're supposed to meet?"

"Because I can't show this person to you in public."

Dante smirked. Of course he knew.

"Is this person a hot woman with dark hair that likes going out into the dark to fiercely make-out?" he offered.

Alex's skeptical dark eyes turned to gaze at Dante. "...Not quite."

Dante's hopeful, eager expression fell. "Damn."

She just rolled her eyes and continued leading him into a very large clearing in the forest.

And it was breathtaking.

Elegant swans gracefully glided across the surface of a colossal crystalline lake, the golden, swollen moon casting soft light around the edges and granting it an ethereal glow. The crisp scarlet and sunset orange leaves that fell from the dormant trees danced in playful circles as a small breeze teased them into the cool night air.

Dante wolf-whistled. "Wow."

"And to think, I found this on a whim."

"You didn't even _know_ where we were going?"

"I have a good sense of direction."

"I really would hope you would."

"Oh, geez, stop being such a baby," Alex muttered as she seated herself on a large limestone cliff overlooking the scenic lake.

"I call it being concerned," he muttered defensively, rather miffed. If anything, he _wasn't _a _baby. _Nevertheless, he took a seat rather near her. (Like, pressing against her arm. Oh, my God! Leech, much?)

Alex frowned. "You know I don't like it when you do that..."

Dante flashed a perfectly innocent smile. "Do what?"

"Get all close to me like that. It's creepy..."

Dante's cutesy smile transformed into a devilish smirk. "How's this for creepy?"

Before Alex could protest to anything, he gently pressed their foreheads to together, grinning boyishly.

Her lips quirked. "Yep, Dante, _really _creepy. I'm practically shivering in my combat boots."

Unfortunately, she was. Not that it helped that his warm breath was ghosting on her lips.

Unfair bastard.

"You know, I can get creepier..."

"Dante, what the fuck are you plan--!"

And he kissed her.

Imagine the universe freezing in time. The world slamming on brakes. Every minute detail stuck on pause. It was that powerful.

And suddenly her back seared like it was on fire.

All in a period of two seconds, she broke from the kiss, flew into the air, and yelped.

She snatched Daithi from her back, scabbard and all, growl tearing from her throat.

Alex mildly glared at a rather surprised and amused Dante. "You'll see."

She stood very still as she gripped Daithi's hilt firmly. (Which suddenly made Dante nearly choke on his spit a certain raunchy thought of his.) A wave of energy washed over him, causing his skin to tingle in apprehension. A quiet sigh hissed through the air, followed by an rupturing of dark shadows.

The shadows convulsed until a uniform shape, which launched itself at her with a, "_Dear, beautiful Alexandra!!_"

_**SMACK**_

Dante smirked with satisfaction as Daithi plowed into the rather frozen dirt. "Tch, that'll show you to mess with my girl--"

_**SMACK**_

Dante glanced over to see Daithi with an infuriating grin across his pale face. Alex had impeccable bitch-slapping aim.

"Whose girl am I, Dante?"

"No one's," he mumbled through a mouthful of dirt.

"Okay, you two. Get the fuck up so I can make introductions and get back to where it's warm."

Dante and Daithi slowly and painfully climbed from the deep holes that they had been slapped into, grumbling things about controlling women, how it was unfortunate that they were hot, and they were the ones that brought them out here in the first place.

They trudged toward the sweetly smiling half-devil. "Okay, gentleman. Daithi, this is Dante, one son of Sparda, the one that locked Mundus back up, and a total pizza whore. Dante, this is my Devil Arm, Daithi, one of the seven Abominations created by Cillian, and self-proclaimed ladies' man. You two ought to get along well."

They glared at each other viciously.

Alex clapped her hands together. "Good. We're all going to be working together for a while."

"WHAT?!" Daithi wailed, flocking around Alex and flailing like a dying bird. "DON'T YOU GET IT? WE'LL BE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LOVE!"

Dante smirked cockily. "Which I'll win, of course."

The half-devil suddenly found a wraith-like finger shoved into his face.

"Are you trying to start something with me, devil hunter?"

Dante grinned maniacally. "What if I am?"

And before Alex could register what just occurred, the two men were a rolling mass of writhing limbs, from which pained grunts followed after powerful punches or vicious kicks.

Alex watched blankly as they tumbled and tussled for a few minutes before she thrust her slim hand forward, causing Daithi to morph back into her sword.

...And Dante impaled himself on her sword mid-tumble.

With a scowl, he picked himself up from the hard ground, blade jutting from his back.

Alex stared at him for a long, silent moment...and burst into hysterical laughter.

His frown grew deeper the longer and harder she laughed. By the time she was nearly on the ground and in tears, Dante's frown was going to fall off his face.

Her last chuckles died down followed with a long, mirthful sigh.

"Okay, if you're done laughing at me now, we can get moving."

She picked up Daithi's scabbard, which seemed was a piece of his armor, and swiftly pulled the blade from Dante's chest.

She snickered as resheathed Daithi. "You have to admit, that was pretty funny."

Dante pouted. "That was not!"

They began walking back toward the city.

Alex suddenly punched Dante in the arm playfully. "You know, Dante, you need to keep kissing me like that to a minimum."

Dante halted mid-stride, surprised by that statement. "...Why?"

"You'll turn me into a pile of goo."

He smirked. "So, I can still kiss you?"

A light smile twinged on Alex's lips. "...Sometimes."

* * *

And there is the end. I tried to write some fluff. I FAILED EPICALLY. ;o; Suggestions and comments are apprecitated...GREATLY. -hint, hint-


	13. Party Crashers Part I

**Dislaimer: **I don't own or take credit for the characters of Devil May Cry. I couldn't create something as awesome as they are. xD;;

**Rating: **Teen. Few curse words here and there and some suggestive comments. xD

**A/N: **I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT POSTING IN A WHILE. Life has decided to be very unamusing and uninspiring for me lately. D And, of course, my laziness and short attention span-ness must be taken in account. MY BAD... ^ ^;

Oh, and this chapter is being divided into two parts because I think it would be better organized. And I'm going to try to wrap _Breaking Point_ up in a few chapters (like, no more than two), but I don't want it to seem rushed. Even though that's just what I'm tempted to do. ^ ^;; (And it's probably going to seem rushed anyway. I'm seriously getting burned out by this. My ideas are dying a slow, painful death.)

ANYWAY, ENOUGH WITH MY RAMBLING. ENJOY, LOVELIES~!

* * *

Dante and Alex arrived back at the grand hotel, receiving many odd (and venomous) looks at the leaves tangled in their hair and mud on their boots.

They returned to the room to find Lady and Trish sprawled on the large plush couch watching _Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life. _

Lady's slim eyebrows rose in surprise. "Did you guys wallow in a mud pit or what?"

Alex smirked as she returned to the room she shared to pull on some fresh clothes. "He did."

Trish and Lady stared at Dante questioningly. He appeared to be irritated by this statement as he plopped on the couch beside them. "Don't ask."

And a cackle could be heard from the next room.

Moments later, Alex reappeared, clad in a baggy gray tank top and sweatpants and still pulling twigs out of her hair.

She sunk into the couch beside Trish. "Ah, yes, Tomb Raider. Fun games. What part are you on?"

Trish smirked. "The half-naked wrestling match."

"Oo. Great timing."

Dante rolled his eyes as the females around him practically drooled over Gerard Butler.

"You know, I liked him better in _300." _

Lady glared at him. "Well screw what you like. This is what we're watching at the moment."

Dante sighed as he stretched his legs out. "I'm sure you're all aware that I'm also that hot."

Alex's head appeared from behind Trish. "Do you have a Scottish accent?"

"...No."

Simultaneously, three voices filled his ears. "Exactly."

"What's wrong with not having an accent?"

Lady sighed in aggravation. "Because, Dante, accents are considered very hot by most women. Actually, foreign men in general."

Trish grinned, almost dementedly. "Like Brazilian men."

The two other females cheered, "Hell, yes!"

Dante frowned. Why couldn't they talk about him like that?

* * *

Suffice to say, Alex was nervous.

They were surrounded by people of aristocratic standings and other objects that were very breakable and _very _expensive.

And she was wearing a freaking _dress_, for Christ's sake. That was another thing she was worried about. It was rather restrictive of her movement, and she was going to have to worry about _fighting. _

Nor did she know that they were going to have to walk in with an escort.

And she didn't have an escort.

Somehow, Trish and Lady had snatched up some very delicious man-ass for dates. (And Trish's was Brazilian, of course.)

And she had been left out in the _cold._

But, of course, Dante appeared infuriatingly dandy as usual—if even more so at that moment.

He suddenly glided toward her with an annoying sense of confidence and grace. "You know, babe...I can walk you in."

He offered his elbow ceremoniously.

"...You set me up for this."

"You fault for dragging me out to God-knows-where. You'd be able to pick up any man you wanted to with those nice set of jugs—"

The back of her hand collided with the side of his head, and everyone stared in horror at how loud and how brutal the blow was.

Alex smiled innocently at the terrified crowd, and Dante grimaced as the pain pounded through his head.

She delicately laced her hand into his elbow.

"What was that, Dante?"

"Nothing, O Goddess of Bitch-slapping."

She grinned wolfishly as they were ushered in. "That was what I thought."

* * *

Now, Alex was bored. As hell.

There she was, leaning against the stone banister of the balcony, all by herself except for her wine glass of too-sweet champagne and a few couples milling about.

Lady and Trish were having themselves a fine old time with their escorts—dancing steamy tangos with them that very much resembled having sex with their clothes on.

But not like there weren't other people doing that, too.

And, as usual, Dante was flirting it up with the many gorgeous women that had decided to flock around the rather exotic-looking man.

Not that she was jealous.

Alex swigged some more champagne, wistfully imagining having a date with a bottle of whiskey, her Play Station controller, and a good round of Metal Gear.

Warm, rough fingers caressed some of the strange markings that stained the skin across her shoulder. Alex was about to give the perpetrator a good thrashing for touching her so intimately when the stranger spoke.

Dante's smooth baritone filled the air behind her. "They've spread."

Alex turned to stare at him blandly. "No shit, Sherlock."

He snorted and leaned into the banister beside her. "No need to get so snippy with me, Miss Sunshine."

She merely rolled her eyes and gazed at the twilight-laden horizon.

Dante snickered and nudged her. "Why so serious?"

Alex shook her head lightly. "That was such a clever, _unique _pun, Dante. Joker would be incredibly proud."

He sighed defeatedly. "Excuse me for trying to lighten your seriously emo mood. But seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just bored as hell. You guys have abandoned me like the mean people you are," she murmured, the sarcasm evident in her tone of voice.

He smirked devilishly. "Well, how 'bout a dance with yours truly? That's enough to cheer _anyone _up."

Alex was about to retort with something equally as haughty when the sound of shattering glass and horrified screams warped the air. Soon, there was the scrabbling of claws and the raucous roar of excited demons.

The huntress ripped most of the skirt fabric off her dress, revealing the dark, shiny scabbard of Daithi that had been hidden moments earlier.

Dante caught Rebellion and his beloved pistols that had been hurled toward him by the strong-armed Trish.

"And so the real party begins! Let's—"

"Roll!" Alex interjected, a spiteful grin crossing her normally placid face.

Dante deflated like a balloon. "That...really ruined my mojo."

Alex smirked, "You'll get over it."

And they charged into the dining hall, swords ready to tear into the flesh of the low-level demons.

* * *

Thank you for reading! **NOW REVIEW. **c:


	14. Party Crashers Part II

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I do not own DMC or its characters, places, etc.

**A/N: **Thank you to all who reviewed. I luffles you all very much for making me feel so fluffy. :D

**Special thanks to Wolfinson for being kind and becoming my beta-ish person!! **-throws confetti and pulls out the glow sticks-

* * *

Dante and Alex skidded to a halt to gaze in awe at the sight that lay sprawled before them—glittering glass scattered all over the marbles floors, people fleeing and screaming, and huge, hulking, elephant-sized demons grimacing with excitement. Their shapes waved and danced in the bright light, a spinning black abyss of death and decay; and their shapeless, wavering forms were encased in thick, intricately marked bone-white armor. Alex instantly recognized those symbols.

One of them looked her straight in the eye, orange eyes blazing with blood lust. A chill licked its way down her spine.

Her father was here.

A abrupt, white hot anger burned in her belly. That man had caused her and those she cared for more trouble that she was absolutely sure he was worth.

Flann boiled excitedly under her skin, and Alex could feel her canines lengthen.

"He's _here_," she hissed to Dante through her clenched jaw, and Alex saw her angry, already-orange eyes reflected through his.

He interpreted her meaning as soon as a certain silver-haired, violet-eyed youth stepped through the shadows, an orb firmly clutched in his slim, glove-clad hand.

Dante had a score to settle with that little bastard. He was quite sure his reason was clear.

"I'll take him. You and the other babes can take on those other things."

Alex didn't need telling twice.

She tore into the creatures, dicing them into shreds of shadows as Lady and Trish pierced them with accurately-placed bullets.

The formless mass of low-life demons was soon disappearing by the hands of the furious huntress. She could feel Flann trying to trigger, but shoved her forcefully back into her subconscious.

Alex's anger was getting the better of her.

"Come out, you slimy bastard!" she bellowed to the room around her, "I'm going to make sure to kick you ass all the way back to lowest level of Hell!"

Her back tingled, and she wielded Daithi through the last demon, just in enough time to catch the sword of a stranger.

The shadowy form of the demon dissipated, allowing Alex to set her eyes on her father for the very first time.

Alex could feel her heart break and her grip on Daithi loosen.

She looked exactly her father—her face, her basic shape, her smirk. Everything. It felt like a terrible omen.

"Tsk, tsk, girl. I thought you were more level-headed than that. You're supposed to be like me, after all."

Concentrated fury overtook her instincts, and she was slashing at the man with deadly precision, searching for a weak spot. _Anything. _

He casually parried every one of her strokes. "The old man has taught you well. But it's still not enough to put a mark on me, it seems."

_Calm down, Alex. Think. You're better than this. _

A dark chuckle echoed through her mind. _**Please, girl. You are no match for this man. **_

Alex shoved Flann back down again.

Cillian sighed as if he having a luxurious day at a spa rather than a battle and smirked. "Well, girl, if you're just going to sit there dumbfounded, I guess I'll make my move."

His sword slid cleanly off of hers, and he clashed them together again brutally, with speed so inhuman that Alex barely had time to block his blow with her balance intact. Cillian's smirk grew creepier.

And he began to slash at her, forceful and deadly. With each coming blow, Alex could feel her strength slowly waning.

They moved in irregular patterns, lunging and dodging, slicing and blocking, feigning and attempting kicks.

Alex couldn't seem to break out of her losing streak—it was as if he could tell what she was about to do. In a last ditch attempt, she feigned to the left, swooping downwards in attempt to hack at his right hip when the sharp tip of his blade found the skin of her stomach and plunged into her flesh.

Her insides flared with the sensation of hellfire—ten times worse than the sting of the poison laced into Ciaran's sword—causing her to writhe even further down the blade with a pained grimace. With a satisfied gleam in his eye, he raised her impaled body a little higher—and slammed her into the hard floor. The cursed blade buried itself into her insides even further, nearly to its hilt. A scream tore from her throat, and it was so loud and so raw that it left her even more breathless.

He leaned into her face, and he was so close to her that she could smell the tinge of sulfur on his skin, and whispered, "You'll come to me to rid yourself of your weakness, girl. Your humanity. I'll make sure of it."

He gently passed his fingertips of the markings on her shoulder, and they flared to life under his touch. She screamed in agony again as his touch seared her blood and poisoned her mind with dark thoughts.

The corners of her world faded into black, but she could feel Dante's wrath boiling a short distance away. She could tell he was near triggering and handing her father's ass to him. Something, she thought with wounded pride, she hadn't been able to do.

"...What did you do to her?" he growled threateningly, voice dark and heavy with bloodthirsty rage.

He ripped his sword from Alex's belly, earning a satisfactory whimper of pain."Ridding her of vermin like yourself, Son of Sparda."

Despite the haze of pain that clouded her mind, she could tell Dante was nearly grinding Rebellion's hilt to dust with his clenched fist, and she could practically feel her father smile maliciously. "Oh, and by the way, this entire thing was a set up just so I could test her abilities and ensure her loyalties. Goodbye, Son of Sparda. I hope I have the pleasure of murdering you myself."

Dante surged forward as he began to disparate into shreds of darkness, hoping to catch him in his clutches and strangle him with his bare hands. Cillian disappeared from his grip in a moment's time, a challenging smirk settled on his face.

His anger disappeared when the evil man did, replaced by the sudden sense of panic when he heard a wheeze and a gurgling cough.

He rushed to Alex's aid, who was apparently attempting to pull herself up off the cold marble floor.

When he made a fuss, Alex gently shoved him away, "Geez, I heal like you do. Stop worrying like such a woman."

But that was exactly when Alex passed out.

* * *

_Just like you. Always passing out. I have to carry your sorry ass, Alex. You damn better appreciate it. _

Dante stared carefully at the sleeping female that lay in the bed across from him. Her expression looked rather pained. Stupid bastards of fathers.

Alex gave a start as she woke up before she yelped in pain and doubled over.

Dante was at her side in a moment's notice.

"How ya feeling?"

Alex's lips twinged into a frown. "Frankly, like somebody crapped me out and then stomped all over me."

Dante chuckled quietly. "Anything I can getcha?"

Her response was automatic. "Alcohol. Any kind."

He smirked. "Even beer?"

She glared lightly at him. "...I'd probably drink even that at this point. But I'd appreciate it if you didn't."

He sauntered out the doorway and appeared a moment later with a glass and a bottle of rum.

Alex smirked. "Brought a whole bottle just for me?"

A mean grin settled on his face. "You look like you need it."

Alex merely shook her head and snatched the bottle away from him, without even bothering with the glass. She swallowed down a large swig. "Trish and Lady asleep?"

Dante decided to quickly scan down Alex's lovely shape as she leaned backward with a large gulp. (He was close enough to admire it better, anyway.)

"...Yeah, they fell asleep waiting for you to wake up. It's four in the morning."

Her eyebrows rose in light surprise, but she just nodded.

"...Wouldn't you rather have some meds instead of alcohol?"

Alex shook her head. "Alcohol just dulls the pain better. I can pretty much sit there and eat Loritab after I get back from jobs sometimes."

He gave a light nod in understanding.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, deep in thought and passing around the bottle of rum.

After a while, Dante's tongue was loosened up just enough to make a statement. "Seems like were both like our old men, huh?"

Alex gave a morose nod. "What's your sob story?"

Dante hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not to tear at the stitches in his wounds. "...When I was a kid, my dad disappeared. We couldn't find him anywhere. A little later, my mom was killed by demons. Vergil and I stuck together for a while, but we eventually drifted on our separate ways. Years later, he tried to recreate the hell-gate, I kicked his ass, and he fell into hell. Couple years later, he was brain-washed into being Mundus's puppet, Nelo Angelo. And I thought I had killed him again. He's back again somehow."

"How'd you meet Lady and Trish?"

"I met Lady when Vergil was trying to revive Temen-Ni-Gru. Her father had turned into some murderous psychopath who wanted nothing more than power. So, he teamed up with Vergil in attempt to steal Sparda's power from the other side of the Hellgate. The bastard had killed her mother, so she was out for revenge, and she got it. Trish happened to be one of Mundus's creations. She was designed to look like my mother to lure me into a trap so they could bump me off. She was involved with the whole Nelo Angelo escapade."

Alex nodded solemnly as she carefully grasped his fingers and studied them. Dante couldn't have been more surprised, but he had to admit it was rather pleasant as her fingertips softly traced the lines in his hands. Like she was reading their futures.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "My mother hates me, you know. She used to be a demon hunter—known far and wide as being beautiful and incredibly talented. Cillian lured her into a mission and raped her. Then I came along. She refused to care for me at all—as far as she was concerned, I didn't deserve to live, but Dragomir wouldn't allow her to terminate the pregnancy. The woman I consider my real mother happened to be a maid at my mother's house, and she wasn't able to have children, so she took me in. Delilah—that's my mother's name—gave her legal consent and everything. Everything was great until I learned of my actual heritage and had to take up the legacy of my mother's bloodline. That's when I met Dragomir."

She stopped for a moment, gathering her breath and thoughts. "...He happened to live on my mother's compound, so I had to go there everyday, after school. I can remember how coldly my mother looked upon me when I had to meet her the first time for her to lay down the rules and things. By that time, she had met and married Lily's father. I was absolutely forbidden to have any contact with Lily."

Dante grinned. "Lemme guess—she was the one that met you first."

Alex had propped herself up by placing her elbow on her knee, a faraway look in her eye. "Yeah, she was four and hellbent on defying everything her mother said. I was in the garden one day, just minding my own business and meditating when a cupcake was shoved into my mouth."

"Wow...meditating at—"

"Seven."

"Whoa. I couldn't keep even keep still when I was seven."

"Dragomir was very particular on my learning how to concentrate. I was always quiet and still when I was a kid and really shy. Even then, I knew I just didn't fit in."

Dante gave a short nod. "Well, what about your folks? Do they know what you are?"

"Pops knows. I'm not sure if Lovely knows, though."

"Lovely? That's what you call her?"

"Yeah. I always remember Pops calling her, "My lovely." It just stuck with me."

Dante punched her lightly in the shoulder with a playful grin. "I bet you were a real knock-out of a teenage girl."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Nope. I was awkward. All the guys were afraid of me. I was equal to or greater to their sizes, and they still remembered how angry this one kid made me when I was ten. I played soccer that year, and there was this one boy that just wouldn't leave me _alone_. I beat the shit out of him—he was in the ICU for a month. Needless to say, I never played soccer anymore."

"Harsh."

"Yeah. Girls were pretty terrified of me, too. And, of course, I was usually too tom-boyish to be included in their mindless giggling. So, I grew up without friends—except for Lily and Jack. But I'm not really sure if your kid-sister and her googly-eyed best friend count."

"Well, sure. But you got some more friends, right? And I'm sure I'm your best friend, of course." Dante tossed a friendly arm around her shoulder, which she proceeded to shrug off with a unsurprised sigh.

"Sorry, Dante. Lily still counts as my best."

Dante's starry look withered. "...Your second best, then?"

She shook her head in light exasperation. "Whatever you say, Dante. Now go to bed."

"What if I feel like staying over here and sleeping with you? Second-best friends are supposed to band together, you know."

Dante was nearly knocked clean off the bed by precisely-aimed pillow.

Alex pointed irritably to the other bed. "Over there. _Now." _

With a pout, he stalked to the other side of the room, and Alex burrowed under her covers and turned off the lamp light.

But she still woke up with a silver-haired man snuggled against her the next morning.

* * *

So, I was trying to end this chapter on a solemn note, but it somehow turned into fluff. Don't ask me how. XD I don't know how good this is. ;_; It's seems kind of jagged to me.

**REVIEEEEWWW. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TOOOOO. :DDDD**


	15. Let's Rock!

**Disclaimer: **Devil May Cry belongs to Capcom.

**Rating: **K+. Just a curse word or two.

A/N: Okay, so I have no excuse for my laziness. 8D;; My bad, people. Hope you enjoy this mini-chapter before I gear up to write the huge whopper of a final chapter that I have planned. Gwuahaha.

--

Dante nearly snarled in fury as the ancient phone on his desk screeched with slowly-dying rings.

Shadow demons had popped up in huge, rapidly-reappearing hordes ever since Alex had decided to run off to join her father and his merry band.

Dante would be damned if she was more trouble than she was worth.

But who was he kidding?

He would force Vergil into a pair of frilly pink underwear and die a what was sure to be a terrible death just for her.

The hunter watched in near-surprise as his brother actually _groaned _when he remembered it was his turn to go hunt them, but, nonetheless, Vergil snatched up Yamato and telelported out of the building.

Trish stared at him with weary eyes. "Have you contacted the old man yet?"

Dante sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. He hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in almost two months. "Yeah. He's supposed to be locating her as we speak."

Lady exhaled slowly. "This sucks."

He would have been throwing up from laughter months ago if someone had told him he would actually be fucking _sad _when Alex left.

Dante still could see her haunted face the night she disappeared.

He shook his head to clear his the thought from his mind.

Vergil burst back into the office, hair slightly disheveled. Dante could tell he was starting to get worn down, too. Normally, he would come in as sleek and unruffled as he had before he had left.

He gracefully took a seat in one of the chairs placed in his emo corner, expression even more pinched than usual. "Let's do hope the old man finds her soon. I'm tired of all this..._waiting._"

Dante picked up one of his magazines nonchalantly, as if they all weren't probably about to die from exhaustion. "Couldn't have said it better myself, bro."

A rumble of agreement sounded from the two females.

An older man burst in the room, his lined face looking ten years older than the last time they had seen him only hours ago.

Everyone instantly stood up at his arrival, on edge for whatever information he was about to disclose.

"I found her!" he wheezed, "but—"

Dante had already gathered his beloved weapons and strapped them in place. "But what, old man?"

The other three occupants sighed irritably at Dante, who once again ruined a moment by interrupting.

Dragomir actually looked a little amused by their reaction. "But it won't be easy getting in. The location is positively swarming with demonic activity. What you need is—"

A pair of bright orange eyes appeared from a dark corner of the room before fluidly pooling into shape from the shadows. Daithi, in all his fiery-haired glory, stood before them. "An agent who can get you in with little repercussion."

Dante suddenly felt his temper surge as that..._thing_ came into his sight, and he growled. "I thought you couldn't transform without Alex!"

Daithi sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, I can, but it's much harder. She," he began as he shot appreciative looks toward Lady and Trish, "offers me some...incentive." He grinned suggestively.

Dante nearly could have torn his head off when he realized _exactly _what he meant.

Daithi flailed about as soon as he interpreted the devil hunter's furious expression (and when Dante not-so-subtly attempted to strangle him). "Hey, wait! You need me, remember?"

The white-haired hunter decided to glare at him a little bit longer, then loosened his grip on him. Daithi slid like a puddle of jelly to the floor. "...Alright. What do we got to do?"

"Well, bring the key to the Hellgate with you to make it look like you're willing to trade. Which, of course, you're not going to. And, of course, Cillian won't let you get away so easily. So, you gotta take out the rest of the Abominations, along with the small fry. Then they can't sneak up on us."

Dragomir piped in, "I can take out the armies, but I know I'm not up for any of the bigger fights."

Dante gave a stiff nod in approval as everyone geared up. "Sounds like a plan. Alright, Verg. Got yours?"

With a sigh, Vergil flashed Dante his side of the amulet.

"Trish—Force Edge?"

"Yes."

"Lady?"

"Yeah?"

Dante winked at her playfully. "Leave that temper of yours behind."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright, bitches!" Dante whooped, "Let's rock!"

–

Hope you enjoyed my creative vomit. 8D Feed the lazy, lifeless author by reviewing! The more fuel I have, the faster I'll work. ;3


	16. The End Starts A Beginning

Disclaimer: If I owned DMC, lots of people would know it. The women would wear more clothes and the guys would wear less~! MWUAHAHAHA!!

Rating: T+ 'cause there shall be battle scenes and foul-mouthing because I feel like it.

A/N: FINALE, BABIES!! I may or may not write a sequel, but I will most definitely write for my other ones first. So, yeah...ONTO MY STORY. 8D UH, AND THANKS TO WOLFISON AND SAVAGE KILL FOR ALL THEIR IDEAS. AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT HAS BEEN ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ME.

You guys all deserve "Awesomest People in the Entire Universe" trophies. With people like you, writing is truly worth while. :3

Sorry it's so late! I've been _really_ **freaking** busy, so sitting down long enough to work out the creative process like I want to has been nearly impossible. Again, I'm _**extremely**_ sorry, and I hope you enjoy this. Because I tried.

If there are any errors that I missed, guys, please let me know.

* * *

–

Daithi carefully glanced over the jagged, secluded hillside of his creator's hideout. Yes, very Gothic and clichéd. Putting that cynical thought aside, he surveyed the teeming, almost fluid-like mass of shadow demons. Their incessant hissing and spatting was nearly a roar. What they talked about was very mundane and savage and very boring. You know, killing stuff and eating and getting some. That was about it.

The aura of the crowd around him was tense and anxious. He also wanted to see hott Alex as hott Alex again! Not evil hag, A.K.A Flann. She was hott, too, but very mean. He seriously didn't dig _mean_ chicks.

Well, anyway. Time for him to fly away from Planet Erotica.

"You're up, old man!" he muttered a tad bit louder than necessary, "Go kick some demon ass!" (A phrase he had learned from listening to those in Devil May Cry when he spent time as Alex's sword. The human world was so fascinating!)

Dragomir flinched at Daithi's unwitting use of foul language but nodded anyway. He silently scaled down the side of the cliff, still moving as lithely as a cat in his old age. Since there was such a multitude of them, it didn't take long for them to notice him, unfortunately, and they moved to descend upon him in violent waves.

He breathed slowly and drew his sword, _Tyrrin_. The hilt felt warm and comfortable in his hands—like the handshake of an old friend. A small smile creased his face.

With practiced ease, he sliced elegantly into the first onslaught and destroyed them with little effort. Now most of the other ones were catching onto what was happening, and the much larger second wave bore heavily in his direction. He slid into a defensive stance and accumulated a large amount of energy into the blade. In one hard slash, he discharged it into the sizable slew of demons. Raspy screams saturated the air as a bright flash of light disintegrated them to nothing but ashes.

Just that little bit already had Dragomir's breathing heavy, but he firmly concentrated on the final group of angrily hissing creatures. He closed his eyes and murmured a ancient incantation as energy swirled around him in the shape of a pentagram; as he opened his eyes, he slashed into the energy field, and, in one determined battle cry, sent the energy exploding into the mass of demons.

After several moments of chaos and screaming, the dust cleared, revealing Dragomir collapsing to his knees. He was rather exhausted, but he was triumphant.

The group quickly scrambled down the rough hillside toward the gateway. As Trish and Lady helped Dragomir to his feet, Dante clasped him one good time on the shoulder and glared toward the gate. "Take a rest, old man. You deserve it."

A predatory smirk overtook Vergil's face. "Don't worry. We'll make sure to take care of it."

As the rest of the group dispersed from Dragomir, Daithi stood before him, molten orange orbs holding nothing but the utmost seriousness. "We'll bring her back. And make sure to watch your back. They're sure to know by now."

With one final look around, Daithi phased into the main hallway, the anger already burning like hell fire in his eyes.

* * *

–

Daithi discovered his other four comrades staring listlessly at the five corridors leading to God-knows-where inside the deathly silent cavern.

Dante glanced back at him, eyes hard ice-blue hues. "Plan of action?"

Daithi scoffed as if Dante were the most idiotic being on the planet. "Split up, of course!"

After the other three broke up the fight before it started, they parted ways, focusing intently on their purpose for being there.

* * *

–

Dragomir attempted to slow down his breathing and thought about the other five that had gone inside. He hoped they would all be alright, and he hoped they would be able to bring back Alex successfully.

As soon as he propped himself back up on Tyrrin, the air grew incredibly cold. Dragomir heard Ciaran's cruel laugh long before he saw him.

...He was getting way too old for this.

* * *

–

Vergil gazed sharply around him, searching for any sort of movement or energy activity. His eyes flickered back to the flutter on the ominous gateway.

An elegant female was delicately balanced on one of the gate's peaks. Her long black hair wavered unnaturally and her livid green eyes burned with excitement. She smiled alluringly. _"Now who do we have here?" _

Vergil frowned and thumbed Yamato out of its scabbard an inch or two. "I do believe it is common courtesy for the other person to introduce herself before she asks the other person his name."

The only thing that betrayed her irritation was the sinister glint of her intense green eyes. _"Very well. I __am Mariya, first protector of the gates and keeper of secrets. And you are...?"_

His answer was almost automatic. "Vergil, the Dark Slayer and son of Sparda."

She tutted imperiously. _"Oh, what a poor, unfortunate creature you are."_

Vergil drew Yamato, contempt lacing into his words. "I can contest that statement."

Her lips curled in disapproval. _"Can you, now? I do wish to see you try."_

He vanished from sight before reappearing behind her, Yamato already cutting into the flesh of her arm.

As she screeched and turned toward him, her power flaring and her claws ready to tear into his flesh, Vergil knew who would be the victor long before the fight was over.

* * *

–

Lady was on high alert.

She was at the greatest disadvantage here because she was human. Like hell it was going to hold her back, though.

Nor was she stupid. She knew some dumb bastard demon was currently watching her. And she knew exactly where it was at.

She carefully began to pull out one of her pistols, but before she could tell what was going on, she found spidery fingers gripping hard at her slim wrist.

The demonic creature was very handsome, but his hungry vermilion eyes set her on edge. He smiled at her eerily. _"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'd hate to have to hurt a pretty little thing like you."_

She made a face and scoffed. "That's what they all say."

With one quick, fluent motion, Lady drew her free gun and shot him square between the eyes.

His surprise was great enough that he relinquished his grip on her and flinched backward.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to kill him dead.

His grin was twisted. _"Cheeky little bitch, aren't we? Now, before we attempt to kill each other, why don't I introduce myself? I am Mstislav, second protector of the gates and destroyer of the rift between worlds."_

She aimed at him. "Name's Lady. Now die."

* * *

–

Trish blew the smoke out of her trusty pistols, Luce and Ombra. She had met many a demon on her way down the cold, damp corridors, but they all met their messy ends thanks to her prowess.

It was just too easy, and Trish absolutely hated it. She relished a challenge. Other than rescuing Alex so Dante would stop acting so damn depressed, she was here to start a _fight._

It was one of her many talents.

A tall male materialized in front of her, a devil of hulking mass and sinew. She was dwarfed in his shadow. Trish had done some research in Dragomir's super massive archive (not without some pain) and read up on Cillian and his minions. If the description was correct, then this was Vsevolod, third protector of the gates and a devil of dual minds.

He glared down at her. _"You have no business being here, human." _

She looked up at him, one slim blonde brow rising slowly. "Human?"

His glare grew deeper at her question.

Trish chuckled easily, and lightning flared to life around her curvy frame. "I am no human!"

* * *

–

Daithi and Lonan were currently having a stare down. Not sound could be heard from either opponent.

The fiery-headed male was the first to speak. "Shall we decide which one of us is the better?"

Lonan's sharp violet eyes narrowed. "Once and for all."

* * *

–

Dante glared around the dank, expansive room. If he was correct, the room was circular.

It was much too quiet for his liking.

He had met absolutely nothing on the way down the maze of corridors—he was nearly certain that he was walking into some sort of trap. Good thing Trish had Force Edge, he guessed. At least he didn't have to worry about fighting with that extra burden.

His hunch was confirmed when his sharp ears caught the sound of evil laughter (he knew the sound by heart, unfortunately) and a pair of violent orange eyes appearing from the darkness.

"_Are you here for your little girlfriend?" _a dark voice taunted, the tone honeyed with malice. _"Alas, she no longer exists. Not if I have any say in the matter."_

Dante drew Rebellion, the fury in his voice fully evident. "Cut the crap, bitch. I know she's there."

As he said that, a flare of familiar energy surged from Flann's being before she forced it back as quickly and harshly as she could muster. She smiled at him coldly. _"It's not going to work."_

Dante smirked as he pointed Rebellion in her direction. "It looks like it already just did."

For a moment, her eyes flickered onyx, and she flinched. Her expression grew vicious, and with a savage cry, she rushed forward. Her long nails clattered against his blade, sparks whizzing through the air with a great screech. Dante was actually quite surprised by her sheer strength; he knew chicks could be powerful because he had fought them personally, but they were usually very quick and nimble or very cunning.

She slashed, and he parried her blow. Her lip curled into a look of disgust. _"Fool. Just like your father."_

He could feel a vein pop in his forehead.

That was it.

The last few months—Sparda this, Sparda that. He had heard more of fucking Sparda than he could stand.

Dante's blood boiled in his veins. His strikes suddenly became much sharper and fiercer. Soon, he was shredding into Flann's arms like fire ate up paper. Blood splattered all over the stone floor, and blood poured from the deep gashes in her arms.

She leaped back, breathing heavily. Had she not have dodged most of them, she would barely have any arms left at all.

It took him a moment to realize those were also Alex's arms.

He could feel his anger melt at his hesitation. Dante had to think hard about what she would say to him in this situation.

_I don't care what the hell you do, just as long as you get her the hell out. I heal as well as you do, you idiot, so don't worry about me bleeding to death._

Dante felt certain that was what she would she would tell him, insult and all. His mind was made up.

The hunter flicked Rebellion experimentally, watching Flann carefully and analyzing her every movement. He surged forward, allowing his demonic energy to fluctuate freely, before he clashed with Flann again.

She surprised him by grabbing his blade and creating doppelgangers of herself. He allowed them to dig their claws into his flesh and shred into his expensive leather jacket. In the end, it wouldn't matter.

He would be the victor.

The clones disappeared as Flann drew back to attack again, but Dante's blade struck true, forcing itself through skin, muscle, and bone. She doubled over and blood spewed from her mouth as coughs wracked her body.

Flann looked him in the face. He expected to see those burning orange eyes, but he found himself staring in a pair of onyx instead. His heart leaped in excitement and he nearly said her name, but before he ever had time to form the word on his tongue, she pressed her hand against his face.

The sensation of prickling hot needles gripped his skull as she invaded his mind. He witnessed himself stabbing her through the heart. _I'll be okay._

_I won't do it, _he said to her in his mind...which was weird.

_Yes, you will._ Her tone allowed no room for argument.

She released his mind, and he saw Flann had regained control again. Flann chuckled infuriatingly. _"You won't do it, you stupid half-breed."_

And that was when he shoved Rebellion into her heart. Flann released a screeching, blood-freezing scream as Dante ripped his sword out again.

She stumbled backward, revealing the gaping hole in her chest. There, he saw Alex's beating heart and the rapidly crumbling orb that was tucked beside it.

The gray and violet began to dissipate from Alex's skin, revealing that pretty tan color Dante had grown so fond of. Flann shrieked in rage as the orange left her eyes and she dissolved away. _"How dare you! You will pay dearly for this!"_

Flann died completely, leaving plain old Alex there, with copious amounts of blood oozing from her chest and the light in her eyes dulling.

Dante watched in horror as she collapsed in slow motion. He rushed to her side and checked her pulse.

There was nothing.

His heart wrenched painfully, and he clenched his jaw. "You lied, you crazy woman. You aren't okay."

All in an instant, she gasped for breath, sat up, and began clawing out pieces of glass that came from the orb. Now, the wound could heal completely, and it began to close itself up.

She glanced at him nonchalantly. "Yeah, sorry about that. Temporary lapse. Couldn't be helped or she would have lived."

Dante gaped at her in open amazement. She had never seemed more beautiful to him than at that moment. He snatched her into a humongous bear hug.

Alex, feeling extremely uncomfortable, gave him a quick, awkward pat on the back. She wheezed, "That's enough, Dante. I'll actually die if you keep this up."

He released her as quickly he had grabbed her, and he grinning boyishly. "Nice to have you back."

She nodded and smiled genuinely. "Nice to be back."

He stood up and offered a hand to help her up. She took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. This surprised him, considering that in the past she would have chided him for it.

She smirked at him. "Don't get used to that because I won't be accepting your misguided acts of chivalry again."

He rolled his eyes. Same old Alex. It was great.

She popped her knuckles. "Before we all go home and have one huge party with pizza and alcohol, I do have one more thing on my to-do list."

"...That is?"

"Cillian's head is mine."

After saying that, she put her fingers between her teeth and let out one long, high-pitched whistle.

* * *

–

Daithi stared curiously at the object he held in his hand—the object that Lonan had used to summon countless shadow demons.

Oh, yes, he had slaughtered the little bastard. And enjoyed it, too.

His ears pricked at the sound of someone whistling. He grinned with utter excitement—Alex was back! Daithi jumped about giddily, even more delirious than when he first discovered a _Playboy _magazine. Ah, good times.

He disappeared before reappearing—just hovering above Alex. "MY LOVE!" As he collided into her arms, he kissed her full on the mouth.

With an angry cry, she slugged him. As he went flying through the air, he transformed back into his sword shape.

Alex began to vigorously scrub at her face, making disgusted noises along the way. "Ugh! Slobbery bastard!"

Dante snickered (not without being a little jealous himself). "He gave you quite the wet one, huh?"

She snatched up Daithi and smacked Dante on the arm for his laughter. "You have no idea."

* * *

–

Vergil carefully picked up the strange trinket that his opponent had left behind. Apparently, she had donated the last of her soul for his use.

As he picked up the amulet, objects in the room began to glow. Vergil smirked. This devil arm could be useful.

* * *

–

Lady sighed at the weapon left behind by the bastard she had to fight—a long black serrated scimitar, complete with all sorts of strange symbols carved into the blade. Must've been some sort of spell.

She really wasn't into the whole sword-thing.

Well, she guessed she could always give it to Alex. Or sell it.

* * *

–

Trish meticulously dusted off her clothes and smiled victoriously at the slowly crumbling demon.

He hung his head. _"I have been bested. If you will honor me, take what is left of my power and use it for your purposes."_

The demon crumpled, leaving behind a pile of ashes. The mound began to stir, and rising from the ashes, appeared two elegant blades, one gold and one silver.

Trish's smile widened. He did know how to appeal to a woman's expensive tastes.

* * *

–

Dragomir glanced down at Ciaran's slowly crumbling body. Ciaran growled, "Fine, you damn old man. You win!"

And Dragomir was left with two vicious-looking metal claws. What he was to do with them, he had no idea.

Well, he guessed he could use them for a can openers.

* * *

–

After Alex had trekked back to Flann's quarters, she went about collecting her things. Unfortunately, they had thrown away her clothes, but Flann did have some articles of clothing and a beautiful set of armor locked away in a wardrobe. Alex retrieved her guns and extra weapons, including her shape-shifter's cloak. Then, she kicked open the wardrobe and took out the armor.

She glanced at Dante. "Would you get out so I can change?"

That was when Dante finally realized how scantily clad Alex was. He grinned and giggled like a little school boy.

Alex glared at him and pointed forcefully toward the door. "Out."

With a pout, he skulked out of the room.

After she had dressed in the armor, Alex stared at herself in the full-length mirror that had belonged to Flann. She looked like her father, and she hated it.

She glanced at the small dagger that Flann had placed on her dresser. With grim determination, she picked it up and slashed off most of her very long hair. After she had gotten out of this mess, she had planned to cut it, anyway.

Alex gazed at herself with a little more satisfaction. Her hair hung about mid-neck now, and she looked less like her father and more like herself. She smirked and strapped on her weapons and donned her cloak.

Dante stared at her in surprise as she slammed Flann's door closed for the final time. "One, you look like that really evil king from the third _Lord of the Rings_. Two, what the hell happened to your hair?"

"Hacked it off."

"...But, why? You had such nice hair!"

"Because I felt like it. Come on, let me get this over with so I can burn this damned place to the ground."

* * *

–

The tall dark-haired demon lord smiled sinisterly as he sensed his daughter getting closer. He turned just as she kicked down the door to his chambers, the fury burning so intensely around her slender frame that is burdened the air in the room around them.

He at gazed his daughter evenly. "Whoever wins the duel wins the prize?"

Knowing exactly what he was referring to, she drew her blade slowly, her face nor tone betraying any emotion. "You bet."

Alex had told Dante and the others to stay as far away as possible. One, she didn't want them to get hurt, but two, she didn't want any interference whatsoever.

Cillian's smirk grew, the demonic energy dancing around him like flames. He drew his weapon and devil-triggered.

Alex stood still as he raced toward her, eyes closed and arms slowly reaching out. The devil that slumbered inside of her was slowing awakening, calling to her with its siren song. She allowed the demonic energy to race through her veins and encase her in its burning desire.

Rough black hide flowed across her skin, and as it settled, it cracked open, revealing molten orange lines that burst with energy. Pure black wings formed along her shoulder blades, dusting the air around her with ashy energy as she flexed them. She opened her eyes, revealing a livid shade of violet.

It sounded like thunder as they clashed. Like this, Alex was easily able to keep up with his insanely fast strikes. She was suddenly enjoying this too much.

Energy licked up her blade, and she expelled it violently his direction. He barely parried the flames, but a large gash appeared on his chest. Cillian glared at it viciously before he slashed hard at Alex.

One appeared on her chest, but it felt deliciously agonizing. She grinned manically as it healed.

She attacked him again, her blows growing stronger. He blocked her sword strokes evenly before returning to the offensive and slashing at her unprotected left side. With surprise, he watched as she blocked and nicked his right side instead. If he had felt fatherly in any way toward the woman, he would have felt pride at her rapid improvement. Instead, he felt annoyed with her. She was a pawn that had gotten too far out of hand and needed to be destroyed. This thought made him frantic with fury.

He gathered energy into his unused left hand until it blinded him with its brightness. As Alex swung at him again, he lunged and grabbed her neck. It discharged into her exposed neck, eating away at the flesh and bone that lay there.

She gasped and almost went entirely limp. He laughed in triumph, for he had won! The keys to the Hellgate were his!

His insides began to burn intensely. He looked down at his abdomen, only to observe as he separated in half. He let go of Alex as his top half slid off and his legs buckled. His wounds were weeping heavily, and he realized that he had not won at all.

Cillian realized he was going to die.

He looked over at his daughter, who had collapsed on her knees. She gasped laboriously for breath and clutched at her throat as her windpipe knit itself closed with the skin healing over it.

He wheezed out a laugh. "So, I have been beaten."

And he died.

His body dissolved into ash. It drew together in one quick implosion, unveiling a beautifully styled necklace.

Alex stood up shakily and walked over to the necklace. She picked it up and laughed grimly as she clasped it around her neck. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

Flann's voice filled the room. _"Well, girl, you have won. I subject what is left of me to your service, in return that you leave much destruction in your wake."_

Her voice faded away, and a ring appeared in Alex's clutched fists. She hung it around the necklace and snapped her fingers. Fire sparked to life in her hands.

She didn't lie when she said she'd burn this place to the ground.

Alex walked the expansed of the room, trailing her fingers along the walls and allowing them to catch fire. The flames greedily slithered down the walls and began to burn everything else. She had summoned hellfire, so it would destroy all in its path until there was no more.

* * *

–

Everyone stared at her with wide eyes as she finally left behind the confines of the cave and entered the blessed sunlight. As blessed as the sunlight was, it burned her freaking eyes.

She looked at all of them. "Um, guys, we might want to step back a couple of feet."

Alex shooed them back a bit, and it was about that time that the entire place exploded in a magnificent spray of rock and flame. Except one rock whacked Alex in the back of the head since she hadn't got back as far as the rest of them, and that wasn't magnificent at all.

Everyone looked at her like she would explode any second after the rock had collided with the back of her head. "Ow," she said as she rubbed the back of her head and laughed freely, something she hadn't done in months. It was an euphoria that even devil triggering truly for the first time couldn't even touch.

This reaction ignited an uproar of cheers from her peers, and she soon found herself in the middle of hugs and questions. It frightened her enough that she passed out on sight.

Vergil had been the only one to hang back. He tutted the group. "You scared her so badly that she blacked out. I hope you're all happy now."

After Dante had pulled Alex onto his back, the group began their way back to civilization.

Dante stopped beside his brother and roughly tousled Vergil's hair. "Admit it, ya' prick, you enjoyed yourself, too." He grinned affectionately as Vergil angrily rearranged his hair.

Vergil scowled at his twin. "I really wish you wouldn't do that." Mumbling curses under his breath, Vergil stalked away from his brother and tagged along behind the others.

Dante stared at the barren landscape around them, which really didn't seem so desolate anymore. He grinned and caught up with the rest of the group. What Dante didn't notice, though, was Alex mischievously poising her finger just outside his ear.

"Wet Willie!"

"Gah!"

And so life became (mostly) normal again.

* * *

–

It was a quiet day at Devil May Cry, which suited Dante and Alex just fine. Dante hadn't left Alex by herself for very long. Not even for bathroom breaks. Alex was starting to get rather annoyed with him.

But, Alex had just come up with an ingenious plan to get some time to herself...for a little while, anyway. She knew she was just about to unleash a major can of worms, though. It may backfire on her, but, hey, she was desperate at this point.

He sat snoozing at his desk, his feet propped up and a magazine tossed over his face. She moved his feet and sat directly in front of him on his desk. Dante removed the magazine from his face and put his feet back on the floor. He looked at her strangely. "...What?"

She grabbed his coat collar and kissed him so assertively that Dante could feel his knees buckling despite the fact that he wasn't standing up. Alex released him and vanished into thin air.

She only had eluded him for a few miles before he caught up with her again.

_Fin_

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* * *

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If anyone cares to know, that was twelve pages in Open Office Writer. -dies- Reviews are greatly appreciated~!


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